Possessions
by mcj
Summary: The Sequel to Commitment. It was a wealth beyond all imagination ... a lifestyle only a few can share ... a family about to be brought to its knees ... for a child he knows just has to be his.
1. chapter 1

_Author's Note_ – _The sequel to Commitment has been something I have been toying with for some time. However it has taken until now for the storyline to really beckon to me and to coin a phrase I have now decided to adopt the attitude "what the hell". No matter what you do the critics do as they do best. I hope you enjoy the story as it unfolds. Thanks to my friend Sue for her suggestions. By the way those who have not read Commitment may need to do so before commencing this story. Yours in writing … mcj

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**POSSESSIONS**

A Thunderbird Fiction Story by "MCJ" Australia

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Disclaimer – I acknowledge the characters of the original Thunderbirds show do not belong to me however I thank those who created them and allow me to use them for this story. Some characters in the story are my own and have been drawn from "Commitment". I acknowledge the character of "Margo Marin" in this story is the character created by Lady Viva and I thank her from the bottom of my heart for permitting me to use her to enhance this story. 

**THE PROLOGUE

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The gavel lingered in the air for what seemed like hours before he crashed it down on the mahogany bench with an unmistakeable finality.

His eyes were unwavering and his authoritative voice thundered across the sparsely packed courtroom.

"APPLICATION DENIED."

There was a complete, utter and disbelieving silence.

Mark Washington gasped with relief and crossed himself.

Adelaide Washington burst into tears and buried her head in his chest.

Their Attorney nodded with satisfaction.

His Attorney looked at the Judge in disbelief.

His Father placed a protective arm about his shoulders.

His brothers shook their heads at each other in the galley.

But as for him …

He simply looked blankly across the courtroom and pictured the toddler with the curly brown hair, signature dark blue eyes and magical Tracy smile.

His son.

Their son.

The product of their former love.

And total lust for each other.

She said he was Mark Washington's son.

The product of their undying love.

And family stability.

He knew she was lying.

She knew he knew she was lying too.

Daniel Mark Washington was a Tracy son.

And he was too devastated to react at all.

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CHAPTER ONE – A MAN WITH NO OPTION BUT TO FORGET 


	2. CHAPTER 2

_Author's Note - Thanks to those who took the time to review the Prologue and yes we are certainly in for a very rocky ride. Thanks a million Linda for your wonderful help. mcj _

**CHAPTER ONE**

**A MAN WITH NO OPTION BUT TO FORGET**

So now he ran…

Just as he had run since returning to Tracy Island from New York…hour after hour, mile after mile, night after night.

Two o'clock in the morning, his mind unwilling to succumb to his body's need to rest, his bare feet mercilessly pounded the darkened sands as he continued to push himself past the limit of human endurance in a useless and pathetic attempt to forget.

Forget him.

Forget her.

Forget Daniel.

Everyone had been telling him; his father, his grandmother, Tin-Tin, even the four younger brothers he loved more than his life.

But he knew what they said was pointless.

Those life-shattering words in the courtroom and the personal emptiness which had come with them would never allow him to forget. He couldn't forget them now as they thudded through his head like a heart-beat, tearing at his confused emotions and ripping out his very soul.

"Application denied."

"Application denied."

"Application denied."

A combination of anger and self loathing suddenly reared up within him. If he was losing concentration long enough to dwell on things he wasn't pushing himself hard enough.

A man was starting to grow soft.

He squared his jaw, consciously ignored the searing pain behind his rib cage and increased the length of his stride.

No, he told himself determinedly, Scott Carpenter Tracy was NOT growing soft. Scott Carpenter Tracy was capable of tolerating more than all of them... much, much more and he had the mental and physical discipline to prove it.

A disciplined mind.

A disciplined body.

He'd lived and breathed nothing else when he was in the Air Force.

"Toughen up, Tracy, and wake up to yourself," he berated himself, still hearing the identical words of his commander as he endured the misery of basic training threatened by expectation of others and living in the shadow of his father's brilliance.

Those words echoed too.

And then more.

Basic training …"You're too cocky, Tracy."

First mission …"Tracy, you take too many risks."

Fourth mission …"Tracy, what in the hell were you doing up there!"

Red Flag …"The number one priority isn't your ego, Tracy, it's supposed to be your men."

His speed increased.

Yeah, well, he'd proven a thing or two to all of them during the years of his Air Force career. He might have been cocky but he proved he was a damn good pilot too. He might have taken risks during a mission but there was never any doubt they were the right risks to take. He might have clowned around and shown off his flying ability whenever he had the opportunity but one thing was never in doubt when he took to the skies...

His number one priority would always be his men.

He shook his head from side to side, trying to block out the memories of his past. His father's stern but concerned words now surfaced.

"Son, I know you're hurting but you need forget about Daniel now and move on."

"Hurting," he scoffed inwardly, beginning to sprint. "That's one of your better understatements, Father."

He grimaced in pain as his thighs tightened and his calf muscles strained to keep up with him.

He fought the urge to slow down.

Physical pain was the only answer to things right now.

Physical pain helped him to forget Daniel for a while.

Physical pain had fast become his one and only friend.

And physical pain was working.

The words had momentarily left him and the ache of misery he'd had in the pit of his stomach since that dreadful day in the courtroom was finally the last thing on his mind.

His lifted his head to the heavens in defiance and forced himself to continue relentlessly on… on and on into the darkness with nothing but the moon to light his path.

The miles of tranquil shoreline were never-ending.

But the pain wasn't going to break him.

He wasn't in the Air Force anymore but he sure as hell wasn't soft.

He was the Field Commander of International Rescue.

The Field Commander of International Rescue was tough.

The Field Commander of International Rescue was authoritative.

The Field Commander of International Rescue led by example.

And the Field Commander of International Rescue would focus and run the fifteen miles out to the Point and back if it killed him.

But tonight, focussing was no use.

No matter how much pain he was feeling, the words were coming back to him and he honestly didn't want to hear them.

"Application denied."

"Application denied"

"Application denied."

He gritted his teeth and his mind cast itself back to the courtroom and her arrogant and self-satisfied expression as they were forced to leave by the same door. Any other person would have had the decency to look the other way rather than witness the sight of a person experiencing so much naked pain.

But not her.

She had paused deliberately to mock him and ridicule his stupidity. She had never loved him. She had never even cared for him. She had simply used him.

And he had fallen for it.

However, she certainly didn't have everything her own way.

Not when it came to the paternity of Daniel.

Minutes before, she had been nothing but a red-eyed, blubbering mess, cowering against her husband, crying like a child; begging for the notoriously powerful Tracy family to leave Daniel alone. He was their baby, she said, conceived in love with her husband, not conceived during the course of an illicit, casual affair in his Father's Office.

So good had been her charade that even his father had been fooled and had awkwardly offered her his handkerchief to console her.

But not him.

He had long since grown tired of her silly emotional games.

He simply sat looking straight ahead, stone-faced and unmoved.

And then the verdict.

How quickly the decision in her favour had stemmed her tragic, motherly tears. How quickly her pleas for Daniel to be left alone were silenced. How quickly she found the strength to give him a contemptuous arch of her eyebrows as their eyes locked one last time in the doorway.

He'd completely lost his temper then and he it swore took every bit of self-control he had not to raise his hand and slap her. He had given her everything, every part of the generous, decent human being that he was and she had never really wanted him at all.

Thank God for Virgil. Virgil knew the whole sordid story and was more than well aware of how hurt and angry he was. Reliable and sensible as always, Virgil had moved quickly from his seat in the galley when he saw them in the doorway, stood between them, and then directed him towards their father.

"It's not worth it, Scott," he'd said, reaching down to restrain his trembling hand and speaking in a calm and level-headed voice. "Let it go, huh?"

He shook his head at the memory.

All he wanted was access to Daniel for a paternity test. The loophole for him to demand one had been factored into their agreement. For God's sake, his father's senior attorney had even pulled out the damned agreement and pointed it out to every single person in the courtroom.

He still couldn't come to grips with the fact that the judge had rebuked him for not pointing out the loophole to her before she signed the document. And he definitely couldn't believe he had ruled in favour of the Washington's.

The judge had to have made a mistake.

Business was business.

A contract was a contract and she had signed the contract.

The judge should have ruled in favour of him.

He had turned to his Father and demanded they appeal.

His father promised to think it over and had spent many hours with his attorneys weighing up the consequences. In the end the decision was made and it was one he knew his father delivered with real regret.

The matter had the potential to affect Tracy Enterprises, he had announced, and there would be no appeal. What had happened was unfortunate and upsetting, but it was time for the Tracy family to let it go. Daniel was well cared for and loved, and as nobody had any argument about that, walking away from the paternity issue was the best thing to do.

"But, Dad," he'd argued in desolation. "Daniel's my son."

"I know you believe that, Scott," his father had sympathised. "But without access to a paternity test you're never going to be allowed to find out."

"Dad, I want him," he'd reiterated angrily. "I'm telling you, he's mine."

His father's voice remained firm.

"Son, the court ruled he belongs to the Washington's."

His own voice began to rise.

"The court doesn't know what the hell it's talking about."

His father's voice still remained firm.

"Scott. I'm acting in everyone's best interests at the moment, including yours."

He had flung open the door and stormed out of the room.

"No you're not, Father." he accused. "You're only acting in the best interests of the Company and yourself."

From thoughts of the past, he returned to the miserable reality of the present.

His jaw tightened even more as he now pictured her face.

Those huge brown eyes revealing the hurt, confusion and betrayal she would undoubtedly feel when he finally found the courage to tell her. Would he ever be able to make it right? Would she ever believe him again when he said he hadn't looked at another woman since he'd met her?

A wave of nausea hurtled through his body.

Should he even tell her at all?

For nearly eighteen months, he'd never been anything else but honest with her… and faithful.

That first meeting at Teterboro Airport when she'd cut him to the bone with her directness had quickly taught him she would accept nothing less.

Margo Marin.

Cool and calculating, she had seen straight through him and his insincere bachelor ways. The ground rules had been set the first time they'd dated. If she became involved with him, lies and infidelity were two things she wasn't prepared to tolerate.

Her expectations attracted him and had long since set her apart from the other women he had known.

There was no other woman like her.

He had started to plan their future together; a future which he hoped would bring her to his side on Tracy Island and permit her to share the massive secret he had never been allowed to share with anyone.

Telling her about International Rescue would jeopardise enough.

Telling her about Daniel would jeopardise everything.

He couldn't tell her.

He just couldn't.

There would be too much at stake if she walked.

Jeff Tracy rubbed his fingers across his furrowed brow before he leaned forward wearily to leaf through the contracts on his cluttered desk.

"Paperwork at all hours of the morning," he sighed in resignation. "At fifty-seven-and-a-half I thought I'd long since given that up."

He reached to his left and picked up a tepid cup of over-brewed coffee. He made a mental note to give up coffee at some stage soon. It kept him awake.

He returned his attention to the papers.

Jeff knew there was no pressing urgency to sign the contracts he had received earlier that day from New York, and it wasn't as if he usually had trouble sleeping either, but tonight the events of the past few days were weighing heavily on his shoulders.

He was worried sick about what was happening to his eldest son.

With Scott uppermost in his mind, he looked anxiously up and out towards the beachfront.

He'd be out there again, just like he'd been out there every night since their tension-filled argument over his decision not to appeal the Court ruling.

Not sleeping.

Not eating.

Not communicating.

Trying to cope with what had happened in the only way he knew how … driving himself into a state of sheer physical exhaustion and then denying it.

A long, loud and concerned sigh escaped from between Jeff's lips.

He honestly didn't know what to do to help Scott move forward.

He'd been a father for over thirty years now and often prided himself on his efforts in raising five, motherless, little boys to be five, well-spoken, well-mannered and fairly decent young men. Up until now, he'd had little trouble knowing the right thing to say or do when his boys needed advice.

And he'd always known what to say to Scott.

They had always had a very special relationship.

Now thirty, Scott was a fine man who fulfilled his role as the future head of one of the largest corporations in the world admirably. Well-dressed and articulate, dripping with handsome good looks and a never-ending supply of money, Scott had matured into an astute businessman in his own right, capable of negotiating and closing billion dollar deals with the best of them.

His radical aircraft designs were currently netting the company millions and Scott was living the life of a billionaire to the full.

He made no secret of the fact he liked the finer things in life and from the pictures which periodically graced the tabloids and publications whenever he was on business, he always made sure he didn't go without them.

Unfortunately, some of the finer things he had enjoyed in the past should never have been enjoyed by him at all.

Jeff cringed.

He'd lost count of the number of times he'd needed to have a quiet word to Scott for what he politely termed his "playboy indiscretions" but up until the Washington woman the women in the tabloids had come and gone without incident.

If only he'd known about the relationship sooner.

If only Scott had come to him when he'd found out about the child instead of stupidly trying to handle the matter himself.

Jeff rose to his feet and walked out onto the balcony. There were enough "if onlys" in his life already without adding more to the list.

Leaning forward to rest his elbows on the railing, he intertwined his fingers and stood surveying the darkness in a troubled silence.

Money.

Money could buy anything even a paternity test.

Family.

A paternity test would determine once and for all if Daniel was family.

Tracy Enterprises.

If Daniel turned out to be Scott's son, the Washington's would have all the ammunition they needed to ruin Tracy Enterprises. Everything he had worked for. Everything he had achieved.

Everything that funded International Rescue.

He sighed.

And International Rescue was what helped him successfully deal with what had happened to his precious Lucy.

He glanced upwards towards the evening star and found himself thinking yet again what he had never stopped thinking about for twenty-two years.

If only she was still here beside him.

A warm breeze suddenly seemed to spring up from nowhere, dancing through the palm trees on the beach front and causing the gentle rustle of tropical leaves.

It lingered for a few minutes and rippled through his greying hair.

Then it was gone

He shook his head and smiled sadly at the sky.

"OK, my Princess, you win. I should know by now that you will always be beside me."

His eyes looked out to sea.

"But you're not being much help to me at the moment, are you?" he murmured into the nothingness. "I still don't know what to do about our son."

There was silence.

Waves peacefully lapped the shore below him but his mind was anything but at peace.

With no better ideas forthcoming, he guessed the best thing a father could do was stay out here on the balcony and make sure Scott was all right when he came back from the Point.

Even though he knew he wouldn't be.

Last night Scott had been far from all right. His body was nothing but a lather of sweat when he staggered back into the house and every vein in his head was protruding. Jeff had been terrified he was about to collapse. But despite hardly being able to stand up, Scott had brushed past him, stubbornly denying there was anything wrong with him.

"I'm all right, Father," had been his agitated response. "I'm just out of condition, that's all."

Jeff Tracy's eyes moved from the ocean to the beach to the sky to the beach.

This ritual of resentment and self-punishment couldn't go on.

He had to make Scott understand there was no option for him but to forget.

NEXT CHAPTER - A MAN REMEMBERS


	3. CHAPTER 3

_Author's Note –Thanks for the comments from email and review…Sorry this chapter has taken so long. Too many commitments! Anyway … Love Adelaide? Hate her? Now you can really decide for yourself...mcj

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**CHAPTER TWO**

**A MAN REMEMBERS – PART ONE

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A soft English voice on a cold and rainy night; a loving hand stroking tenderly through a mop of tiny curls; the scent of summer lavender; the feeling of being safe.

Memories of his childhood before she was unexpectedly taken away from him, the security of love and being loved and the most precious memories he had of all.

She used to call him "baby" once. He was her "special little boy" and "Daddy's little man". One day, she said, as she gently rocked him in her lap, he would grow up to be just like him.

"Your Daddy is biggest, strongest and bravest Daddy in the world," she whispered while he listened, "and one day my precious little darling, you'll grow up to be like Daddy too."

His head always felt heavy as her caresses lulled him into sleep, but those special words gave him a warm and happy feeling at the end of every day. Of all the things he wanted to be when he grew up, it was to be like Daddy.

Daddy was tall and handsome with great big shoulders and a great big smile.

Daddy was an Astronaut who flew great big rocket ships and wasn't afraid to do anything.

Daddy had gone to the moon.

Daddy had met the President.

Daddy was something special.

And Daddy had one thing in his life he wanted more than anything.

Daddy had Mommy.

She was something special too.

"Daddy." he asked one night as Daddy tucked him snugly into bed. "Why were you looking at Mommy like that tonight?"

"Like what?" was Daddy's answer and the beginnings of a suspicious frown.

At five years of age he didn't know how to describe what he had been observing between his Mother and Father earlier in the night. It was a kind of silent interaction he had never ever noticed before. He tried to find the words to explain what he meant to Daddy but in the end all he could do was look into his eyes and repeat the same words over again.

"Like ... that Daddy."

There was a pause as Daddy stood still and thought about it for a moment and then, as always, his frown melted away.

"Momma's pretty." he smiled, leaning forward to tousle his curls with his hand.

"Well ... for a girl anyway." he added with a smirk.

Daddy's smile was infectious and it wasn't long before it made him smile too. He liked it when Daddy approved of the things he said and he liked it even more when Daddy laughed and joked around with him.

"I think she's real pretty too." he said with a sincerity that came from deep within his heart.

Daddy nodded, bent down to kiss his forehead and proceeded to move towards the door. It was nine thirty, he said, and as much as he'd like to stay and talk to him about Mommy, it was time for little boys to go to sleep.

"Daddy, "he said, watching his hand linger on the light switch, "When I'm big like you, will Mommy be allowed to marry me?"

Daddy laughed, and before he knew what was happening, he felt two strong arms close around him, lift him from the bed and carry him down the hallway.

"Hey princess!" Daddy called, his voice vibrant and full of fun. "Your son's got something he wants to ask you!"

Mommy startled when Daddy carried him into their bedroom and instinctively uttered a small, embarrassed shriek of dismay.

"Jeff!" she exclaimed, reaching forward in the candlelight to pull the covers up over her shoulders, "What in the blazes do you think you're doing!"

He felt the room whirl around as Daddy quickly turned on his heel with him and headed back out the door.

"Whoops!" he said in a funny sort of voice, "Sorry about that Luce."

Once outside in the hall, Daddy put him down and told him to stay put. Mommy was a little "indisposed" right now, he said, and it might be a few more minutes before she'd be "able" to see them.

"I don't know about you Scott but I'll never be able to figure out girls." he joked under his breath, "One minute they're telling us they like surprises and the very next minute they're saying they don't."

Daddy winked.

"And by the sound of Mommy in there at the moment, I think this time was one of the don'ts."

He smiled and looked up at Daddy, trying not to appear confused. He didn't want to say so but he didn't have any idea what Daddy was talking about.

But it was very apparent Mommy knew. While the two of them waited patiently to be invited back into the bedroom, she did nothing but grumble at Daddy.

"Jeff you should know better than to bring one of the kids in here with you at this time of night," she complained. "I've told you over and over again; our bedroom is no place for a child."

He watched Daddy pressing his lips together and trying not to laugh.

"Uh oh," he muttered, giving him a silly grin. "Looks like I'm headed for the couch again."

"You watch yourself out there buster or you will be." Mommy called back.

He looked back up at Daddy with a worried look on his face. He didn't understand why Daddy was still fooling around when Mommy sounded really mad at him.

"Don't worry Daddy." he said, tugging at his shirt and trying to reassure him. "You don't have to sleep on the couch. You can sleep in my bed with me if you want."

"Daddy might just have to do that if he makes the same mistake again." said Mommy walking into the doorway from the glimmer of the candlelit room.

She reached down to tighten her black satin robe at the waist.

"Honestly Jeff!" she frowned, "I'm sure you don't think sometimes."

Daddy smiled, moved forward and pulled Mommy into his arms.

"That's not true Luce! I'm thinkin' right now." he laughed, pulling playfully at the robe and then nuzzling his lips into her neck. "Boy, am I ever thinkin'!"

Mommy shook her head and pushed him away from her.

"You stop that right now." she warned, giving him a hearty slap on the arm. "You're setting a bad example for your son."

Then Mommy turned, reached forward and took his hand in hers.

"Ignore Daddy baby." she sniffed, turning away and leading him into the bedroom. "He's being silly again."

"I am not being silly!" Daddy protested as he followed them into the dimly lit room.

"Yes you are Jeff!" Mommy snapped back. "And one of these days the kids are going to see something they shouldn't because of it."

Daddy shrugged his shoulders at Mommy's tone and decided to stop arguing. Before he got himself into any more trouble he moved towards the sideboard and set about pouring two glasses of wine from the bottle he and Mommy had been sharing over dinner.

Mommy, on the other hand, sat down on the bed she shared each night with Daddy.

"Now, Scott, what did you want to ask me?" she asked, giving him her full attention.

He stood looking at her in the candlelight and was almost too overcome to speak. Her face and her hair were so pretty and her beautiful black robe shimmered in the flames.

He swallowed not knowing if he should say anything.

He looked over at Daddy to help him.

"Go on son." Daddy joked carrying the glasses to the bed and setting them down on top of his Engineering book. "I really want to hear what your Mommy says to this one."

"What do you mean?" Mommy frowned, looking from Daddy to him and back again.

When he still didn't say anything Daddy began to sound expectant.

"Ask Mommy what you asked me in your room just now." he boomed in his authoritative voice.

Mommy looked at him inquisitively.

"What did you say to Daddy baby?" she asked.

He reddened and began to twist his fingers together, trying to find the words. It was hard for him to say how he felt about Mommy and Daddy wasn't making things any easier by laughing about it.

Finally what he was expected to say tumbled awkwardly from his lips.

"Mommy, "he blurted, focussing his eyes on hers and speaking with nothing but a pure and unadulterated love. "When I'm big like Daddy, will you marry me?"

Mommy's brown eyes moved to meet Daddy's and for a few moments Daddy held them deliberately with his own. Then her eyes moved back to his again and a warm and loving smile stole gently across her features.

For a moment he was hopeful the smile meant she was going to say yes. Mommy always smiled just before she said yes to Daddy.

But tonight, her smile was saying something different.

Mommy wasn't about to say yes.

Mommy was about to say no.

"Oh Scott," she began, reaching out to stroke the contours of his face, "I'd be honoured to marry you, really I would, but the truth is sweetheart, I can't."

His whole face crumbled as her words sank slowly into his head.

"Why not Mommy?" he asked her in a tiny, hurt voice. "Don't you love me anymore?"

She tilted her head to one side and tenderly squeezed his hands in hers.

"Of course I do baby. I love you more than anything else in the world."

But despite her reassurance he dropped his head and stared at the carpeting with devastated, tear-filled eyes. She was the centre of his world. How could she say no to something which had taken so much courage to ask her?

"Hey Mr. Unhappy," crooned the gentle voice. "You want to give me a chance to tell you why?"

He shook his head. He didn't want to know why. She had said enough.

But that wasn't going to deter her. After a few more minutes, a soft white hand inched its way forward and began to tickle underneath his chin. Before he could resist, that hand had lovingly coaxed his face to hers.

Her eyes fixed on his and her voice remained steady.

"Baby boy …getting married doesn't work that way I'm afraid." she explained, "You see, even though I know you love me very much and I love you too, I'm already married to Daddy."

"But why can't Daddy share you?" he pleaded, glancing at Daddy for support. "Half of you for me, half of you for Daddy."

"Oh baby." she whispered, pulling him tightly into her arms. "Daddy's not allowed to do that."

A soft English voice; a warm and loving hand stroking tenderly through his curls; the scent of summer lavender; the feeling of being safe... even in the deepest depths of disappointment.

"Don't be sad little man." she whispered. "One day you're going to find someone very special of your own and when you do you're going to love her even more than you love me."

He shook his head in disbelief and stubbornly buried his head in her shoulder.

"No Momma. "he sniffled. "No I won't."

"Yes you will baby." she soothed. "It won't be until you're big like Daddy but you'll find her."

There was silence.

"Baby …you just have to trust me this time."

He felt a little bit better when Mommy said that. Mommy could be trusted completely.

But it didn't stop him feeling disappointed.

"Yes ma'am." he murmured despondently, knowing that was what Daddy expected him to say.

The silence continued.

"Come on, things aren't that bad here are they?" she teased him.

He shrugged his shoulders and buried his head deeper. He felt totally unloved and rejected.

"You know Scott, Mommy's right." interrupted Daddy. "Can you imagine what it would be like if I had to wake up every morning next to Grandma? "

He lifted his head from Mommy's shoulder to look straight into the eyes of Daddy. Daddy winked and screwed up his face at him.

"That would be really scary hey?"

He looked over and winked again at Mommy. "And rather inconvenient too."

Daddy's funny face made him giggle. He couldn't imagine Daddy ever being married to anyone else but Mommy and especially not his feisty Kansas Grandma.

"That's better." said Mommy, tweaking his chin and smiling at him.

He smiled at her in return before wrapping his arms around her neck and nestling into her body. He loved her with all of his heart and was never happier than when was allowed to be close to her.

Their embrace grew stronger.

"Mommy I've been thinking," Daddy said, "and even though it's against our rules to have little boys in our bed I guess I'm happy enough to share you with Scott for one night."

Daddy looked at him and pointed to the great big bed with the crisp scented sheets and the beautiful perfumed candles on the sideboard nearby.

"Only until you go to sleep" he said firmly. "And just this once."

Mommy's eyes met Daddy's.

"It's important to him Luce." Daddy said.

Mommy smiled.

"I know."

"Mommy can be in the middle of us." Daddy directed, pulling back the covers, "And if you promise to let me have my turn later I'll let you hold her first OK?"

Instantly his disappointment melted away and he began to nod his head happily. All he wanted was to be like Daddy and holding Mommy in his arms in the great big bed was what Daddy did.

That night Daddy let him climb into the great big bed; just like he did.

That night Daddy let him blow out the candles near Mommy, just like he did.

That night Daddy let him lie in Mommy's arms; just like he did.

And that night as Mommy held him close to her heart in the darkness, he felt the warmth of a woman he truly loved and fell asleep listening to the words that would never leave his memory.

"_The girl you ask to marry you will be beautiful on the outside and beautiful on the inside and she will make you the happiest man in the whole wide world."_

Scott Tracy scowled, looked out into the growing light of the dawn on Tracy Island and swallowed the very last dregs of his Scotch.

"Yeah." he muttered with bitterness and leaning forward to pour himself another. "You were beautiful on the outside all right sweetheart."

He swirled the expensive amber liquid in the glass before lifting it to his lips once more.

Then he slammed it down and prepared himself to deal with the hated memory.

"And that's about all."

……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

_Nevada… three long painful years before_

A little black dress on a hot Las Vegas night; a neckline plunging downwards for what seemed like forever; a diamond pendant seductively wedged between the contours of her breasts; the promise of unadulterated pleasures to follow…

She always dressed exquisitely whenever they appeared together in public and tonight's candlelit dinner in the corner of her favourite restaurant was definitely no exception. The dress had cost him a week's wages and the pendant was worth nearly a month's but he never complained when it came to providing the best for Adelaide Reynolds.

She was something special.

Well she was certainly special in the bedroom anyway.

But none of it came without a price.

She'd insisted from the beginning that designer clothing and expensive jewellery were essential to her happiness. It showed people they were affluent, she said, and despite his debateable career choice as a Captain in the United States Air Force, he needed to remember he was the eldest son of a billionaire.

He had selected a classic black suit for the most important evening of his life and had debated for hours what accessories he should wear to complement its crisp, well-cut line. The selections he made had pleased her. The diamond studded tie bar and the priceless timepiece on his wrist had class, she said, and the suit looked a hell of a lot better than that frightful Air Force Uniform he wore every day of the week.

"And much more befitting the eldest son of a billionaire." she added.

He chided her good-naturedly for being materialistic and continued to peruse the wine list. There was a lot more to life than designer clothing and possessions, he said without looking up, even if he was the eldest son of a billionaire.

"Like what?" she scoffed, holding up the cutlery to the candlelight and carefully assessing its quality.

"Like happiness Addie." he stressed, lifting his head and looking directly into her eyes. "And love."

Her impeccably manicured hand reached out and touched his.

"We _ARE_ in love darling." she said almost with surprise. "What a silly thing for you to say."

She caressed his hand back and forth and added in a provocative whisper.

"And we can show each other how much we are … later."

Despite his dissatisfaction at her worldliness, he smiled absently and enjoyed the sensation of her touch. Thoughts of "later" overshadowed everything and after two weeks away from her on lonely manoeuvres over the Pacific, "later" was paramount in his mind.

The familiar tingling began between his thighs.

He moved about restlessly, trying to ignore it.

Even though she had a total preoccupation with money and possessions he was hopeless when it came to Adelaide Reynolds. He absolutely couldn't get enough of her and over the past four years he had really damn well tried.

He closed his eyes and allowed a small sigh of bliss to escape from his lips as he visualised the passion of their love life and the paradise he knew awaited him under the little black dress.

His decadent thoughts were interrupted by the waiter who stood clearing his throat in an attempt to gain his attention.

"Excuse me Mr Tracy Sir …"

He coloured, feeling almost like a naughty little boy who had been caught out, and began to stammer.

"Forgive me … err … umm … yes … err hem … a bottle of the French please." he stumbled. "Your finest."

Instantly her hand whipped away from his.

"Darling _no_ !" she complained. "I'm so deadly tired of French champagne each and every time we go somewhere for Dinner!"

People from the surrounding tables stopped in mid-conversation and glanced in their direction. A few of them recognised who he was and began to mutter. He felt himself flush with embarrassment. He didn't like drawing attention to himself and Adelaide was so loud when anything he did displeased her.

"I'm sorry honey." he murmured, trying to avoid a scene. "I was under the impression you liked French Champagne."

She shrugged.

"I do but I'm not in the mood for it tonight. Order me something else will you."

He looked at the waiter and tried to maintain his composure.

"My apologies Sir. Please disregard the order for the champagne. Is there anything else you would recommend for the lady?"

The waiter became uneasy. She had already cost another waiter his job on a previous visit and he didn't want to make a mistake and suffer the same unfortunate fate.

"The new Italian Wines are very good Mr. Tracy." he offered politely. "And we also have some excellent Cava's from the best vineyards in Spain. Would you care to try one?"

He looked in the direction of the imperious young woman.

"The cava's are most palatable Madame and I would highly recommend all of them."

She looked him up and down with contempt.

"So you've tried them all yourself then have you?" she demanded.

The waiter reddened and tried to appear confident under the force of her derisive glare.

"Yes I have sampled most of them Madame." he replied with a nervous courtesy.

She gave the waiter a sniffle of disdain before glancing across the table at him and recognising the clear look of disapproval on his face.

"Whatever." she muttered with a dismissive flip of her wrist. "I just don't want the champagne all right?"

After a few minutes of painful silence, he looked up at the Waiter and handed him back the wine list.

"Thank you." he said uncomfortably. "A bottle of anything you would recommend will be fine."

The Waiter scurried away with relief leaving the two of them alone in the corner of the candlelit room.

Soft music and the intimate atmosphere failed to fill the awkward silence

"Addie …" he began reproachfully. "I wish you wouldn't be so rude."

"I wasn't being rude." she shrugged.

"Yes you were Addie." he insisted in a quiet and unhappy voice. "And rudeness doesn't sit too well with most people I'm afraid."

He paused.

"And it especially doesn't sit well with me."

He paused again before he continued firmly.

"I'm an Officer in the Air Force Addie and you know as well as I do there are expectations."

She opened her mouth to argue but in the end thought better of it.

"Well I'm sorry then." she replied sullenly. "I didn't realise I had to live up to the expectations of the United States Air Force now too."

Her blue eyes filled and she looked discontentedly around the room.

"It's bad enough having to live up to yours." she pouted.

He sighed and rubbed his temple with a frustrated hand. He wished he hadn't said anything at all. It would have been easier to call the waiter aside and apologise himself.

"Look," he said with a little less disapproval in his tone, "We haven't seen each other for over two weeks honey. Let's not argue and spoil things huh?"

She shrugged at him again and continued to sulk.

After a while, he once again resigned himself to having to make the first move. He reached out his hand to gently squeeze hers.

"I've missed you baby."

Silence.

"And I really do love you."

More silence, another pout, and blue eyes looking everywhere but at his.

"Addie please don't do this to me." he sighed. "I don't like it when we argue."

Still more silence.

Then her ice-cold reply.

"I know you don't like it so why are we doing it?."

The silence this time was his.

He only had one weakness and she knew exactly what it was. He would rather walk away from an argument than risk upsetting her and spending the night on the couch. She took every advantage of his one-minded masculinity and even though he felt strongly about the need for courtesy and respect for others, there was no way he was going to argue with her over a waiter and risk ending up on the couch tonight.

He looked her up and down.

Not tonight when every part of him was aching for her.

He forced a tight smile to his lips and squeezed her hand once more.

"Let's just forget about it huh?"

She looked at him without emotion, pulled her hand away and moved to pick up the menu.

"Yes Scott." she said in a flat voice. "Let's."

Her utter coldness raised the small but niggling doubt within him once more. Was he about to do the right thing or was he completely crazy? He guessed from the point of view of decency it was right. They'd been living together as husband and wife for nearly four years anyway. She shared everything he had. It was no big deal when he thought about it. Marriage would only be a formalisation of their existing arrangement.

Of course he was doing the right thing.

His stomach churned.

Right or wrong, crazy or not, he didn't have much of an option. His Father had made it very clear only family would be welcome on Tracy Island. To take her with him, she had to be his wife.

His eyes rested on the little black dress as he grappled with his gut feelings and tried to convince himself Adelaide Reynolds was the type of woman he really wanted in a wife. Since he had been a child, he had pictured his wife being everything his Mother promised him she would be; beautiful on the outside, beautiful on the inside and someone who would make him the happiest man "in the whole wide world."

Well, there wasn't any doubt in his mind that Adelaide Reynolds was beautiful and despite how he felt sometimes about the inconsiderate things she said and did, he supposed he was happy enough.

They were both twenty eight.

They both had similar taste.

They both enjoyed the finer things in life.

It stood to reason their marriage would work.

His inner turmoil continued.

But would it?

Despite it all, he still wasn't sure if what they had together was love, and today, courtesy of his Father, there was no more time to decide.

He sighed and looked down at the starched white table-cloth. He guessed there was no-one to blame for his predicament but himself. After four years, it wasn't as if he hadn't had long enough to think about it.

He just wished he would have known what was coming.

Just over a month ago, he had been summoned from Nellis Air Force Base by his Father to the luxury and solitude of their isolated island home. His Father said he needed to discuss an important family matter with him and it wasn't something that could be spoken about openly in the course of a conversation on the com-link.

His Father acknowledged he was asking a lot. He knew he had commitments with his upcoming manoeuvres in Red Flag but this was the sort of family business which absolutely couldn't wait. Despite the inconvenience it would cause to the squadron, he needed him to convince his Commander to give him a couple of days off and then make the necessary arrangements to fly himself home.

"I'll look forward to seeing you son." he said, expecting his parental request would be instantly obeyed.

And, as usual, it was.

Dutiful as ever, and worried sick something was seriously wrong with his Father or one of his little brothers, he managed to jag a couple of favours, make a lame excuse to Addie and within twenty four hours was airborne and on his way to Tracy Island.

He remembered flying in over the tropical paradise and despite his feeling of detachment, immediately sensed there was something different. He couldn't put his finger on exactly what it was but for some strange reason it seemed to be the terrain. It was nothing whatsoever liked he remembered it and he normally prided himself on the ability to retain even the smallest details of his surroundings.

He dismissed the thought and put it down to too many landing strips over the past six years.

Irrespective of the terrain, Tracy Island was beautiful and Tracy Island was "home" and it had been their home for the past three years; ever since his Father had elected to leave the hustle and bustle of New York City to conduct his multi billion dollar business affairs from a "much more relaxed" environment.

However the atmosphere on Tracy Island was anything but relaxed when his Father revealed what he wanted to talk to him about.

For a while, the reality of what was being said refused to sink into his head. His Father had spent nearly half his fortune carving out the rocky atoll to construct what he continued to refer to, as a top secret rescue base. It was a unique concept, he explained, one that would house an organisation which was to be the first and only one of its kind in the world. It was designed to be undetectable from the air, invisible from the sea and its Thunderbird craft would provide a much needed rescue service to each and every country in the world.

"Political persuasion must never come into it." his Father said emphatically. "In terms of human life, politics means nothing."

He'd always respected his Father as a talented Engineer but as the discussion drew into the night and he was taken underground to view what could only be described an engineering masterpiece; it became clear there was more than one person involved in the design.

The pieces to the puzzle began to fit as they were joined by his Father's young Company Engineer, Hiram Hackenbacker. Fondly nicknamed "Brains", he eagerly explained the capabilities of the various Thunderbird craft and gave his interpretation of how they would be utilised.

He had looked at his Father in amazement. It was now blatantly obvious why the shy, mild mannered young Engineer with the dreadful stutter had been invited to live and work on Tracy Island for the past few years. Mr Hiram Hackenbacker had talent it seemed, and lots of it, and his brilliance and attention to detail complemented his Father's perfectly.

"Father," he breathed, for once in his life completely speechless. "This is unbelievable and I take my hat off to you and Brains for constructing it, but I still don't understand… what made you want to do it in the first place?"

His Father became uncomfortable and murmured something incomprehensible about doing something worthwhile with his money and providing something that was clearly lacking in the world.

"I also hope to address other issues which only have relevance to myself." he added without expression.

He worried when he heard those very guarded words. Whenever his Father clammed up and wouldn't talk it was a sure sign that what was being spoken about had something to do with his Mother.

"I understand Dad," he said not wanting to broach the subject further. "But I still don't get it. I mean ...it's brilliant but who in their right mind would want to run a rescue organisation fifteen thousand miles from the middle of nowhere?"

He'd never forget how his Father looked at him at that moment. Even now he couldn't find the words to describe it.

"I do." he thundered in his deeply powerful voice. "And I want you and your brothers to help me do it."

He had simply stood there dumbfounded. He was sure he had heard him wrong.

His Father went on to elaborate.

International Rescue.

Five sons.

Five Thunderbirds.

As the eldest and a Field Commander in the Air Force, it made sense that he would assume the same pivotal role in International Rescue. He would pilot Thunderbird One. His four younger brothers had respected and looked up to him all their lives, so he didn't anticipate there would be any problems with authority.

Virgil still had his "thing" for the arts and that was never going to change it seemed. But irrespective of all the painting and piano playing in bars there was no doubt in anyone's mind he was a fine Engineer. Virgil also had a level head on his shoulders, a pile of common sense and the gift of a fairly tranquil nature. Of all of the younger ones he was least likely to panic under pressure and would be very suited to operating Thunderbird Two.

"The craft conveying the rescue equipment." he explained.

Then there was John.

It went without saying John would take on the role of astronaut. He would have no trouble alternatively controlling the space crafts; Thunderbirds Three and Five. NASA couldn't speak highly enough of John, and with his knowledge of the universe and total obsession with the stars he would be the perfect choice.

His Father frowned.

But despite his talent and outstanding achievements so far, he still had a bit of an attitude when it came to authority. There wouldn't be room for any sort of attitude in International Rescue and he would be making it very clear to John from the outset, the rebelliousness would have to go.

The moment the word rebellion was uttered, into the conversation came Alan.

Alan, fresh out of college, had been somewhat reluctantly undergoing an accelerated training programme in NASA since graduation. However, from the reports received from NASA so far, it appeared for once in his life the boy was actually applying himself and once he was considered competent, he would join them all on Tracy Island and alternate duties with John. A bit of responsibility might tone him down a little and if nothing else, the month on, month off rotation in Thunderbird Five would keep him out of his racing car and away from the women.

His Father shrugged his shoulders. "Well it will for six months of the year at least."

Last but not least there was Gordon. Recently discharged from the World Aquanaut Security Patrol, Gordon was working hard towards reaching full fitness again so that his exemplary skills in the water could be utilised in Thunderbird Four. What that boy didn't know about Marine Craft wasn't worth worrying about and no-one would be more suited to the job of aquanaut than "my mischief-loving fourth son."

His Father held up his hand.

"And Scott, before you say what I think you're going to say, I want you to hear me out. Alan's young ... I know that. Gordon's still struggling to come to terms with the hydrofoil accident. I know that too. But I also know they are both strong and intelligent young men who are more than capable of saving human life."

He gave the matter an almost military dismissal.

"Don't go worrying yourself about either of them." he said. "They're not our babies any more and I'll be keeping a very close eye on them until they find their feet."

He looked towards his Father with a kind of silent admiration. As usual he had thought of everything, right from who would be most suited to operate each Thunderbird craft, down to how he was going to control the brashness and immaturity of his untamed baby brother.

His Father then ended the conversation rather abruptly and pointed out it was getting late.

"I want you to sleep on it son." he said, "The two of us will talk more about things in the morning."

Well if his Father expected him to sleep that night he was definitely wrong. The whole concept completely floored him and the next day he was still trying to come to grips with the magnitude of it all.

"Dad. I honestly don't know what you want me to say to you." was all he could offer as they sat sipping coffee on the balcony and enjoying the wonderful view.

His Father chuckled and put down his cup.

"Well for a start I was hoping you would say yes." he said congenially. "Son, I know what I'm offering you here isn't the Air Force but it's a chance to make a difference in the world as well as follow other more ... err ... interesting pursuits."

He opened his arms around him to illustrate the magnificence of the surroundings.

"And besides, the fringe benefits of working for me here on Tracy Island are really rather wonderful."

The two of them smiled at each other amiably.

"Yeah Dad, it sure is nice here." he agreed.

Suddenly his Father lowered his voice, looked about and began to speak with a kind of quiet urgency.

"Scott I really do need your help to make this work for me."

He paused.

"It's important to me son."

He lifted his eyes and looked out blankly towards the horizon. It was several minutes before he found the words to continue.

"Not a day goes by when I don't sit out here and remember the old days and the dreadful struggle we all endured without your Mother."

Tears came from nowhere and glistened in his eyes.

"People like her die needlessly every day. They leave behind families. Families like ours Scott, who somehow have to find the strength to struggle on without them."

His voice faltered. "Some people ... I believe ... never get over it."

He paused again, almost with bitterness, and then went on to clear his throat.

"A' hem ... so the way I look at it… if we can make a difference to just one other family with this rescue organisation ... just one... I think I might finally..."

He stopped himself, unwilling to complete the sentence.

"Sir?" he enquired.

His Father reddened and looked away.

"Nothing." he murmured abruptly. "Like I said, this Organisation is important to me so I'd appreciate it if you could see your way clear to give me some sort of answer by this afternoon."

The terseness and agitation in his Father's voice said it all.

_"This Organisation is important to me."_

**Obligation.**

He wanted him to say yes.

"Give me some sort of answer by this afternoon."

**Expectation.**

The only answer he expected to hear was yes.

And despite overlooking the blue Pacific Ocean and indulging in the fantastic lifestyle his Father enjoyed every single day of his life, he didn't know if he really wanted to say yes. He had a life of his own now and an emerging career. What possible future could there be with this?

"Dad," he began awkwardly. "As you know I still have two years to go in the Air Force."

His Father quickly dismissed the argument with nothing but a cursory look of indifference.

"Your discharge can be taken care of." he said.

He swallowed at his sheer vulnerability. The discharge of Captain Scott Carpenter Tracy from the United States Air Force would be nothing but a mere formality if his Father interfered and pulled the appropriate strings. His Father had more connections in the Air Force than anyone and all of them were at the highest possible level.

"What about my brothers then Sir?" he continued. "Have you told them about this?"

"Gordon knows my plans." his Father admitted. "And obviously Alan does too."

Then he hesitated.

"But I've said nothing to John or Virgil yet. I wanted to hear what you had to say first."

He couldn't help but be amused at his Father's predictability. He knew Virgil and John wouldn't be asked to join International Rescue before he was for one reason and one reason only. His Father needed to know he had him on side.

He was the big brother, the one with all the influence, the one who had a unique way of getting the younger ones to do anything and everything their Father wanted them to do. He knew if his Father used the argument; "your brother is prepared to forfeit his Captain's rank in the Air Force to follow the dream of International Rescue", Virgil and John would be prepared to listen to him too.

But he also knew that without him, Virgil, who was strong-minded and independent, and John, who didn't share a particularly close relationship with their Father at the best of times, would both say no point blank.

He sat there dazed, a million thoughts whirling in his head.

So it was all up to him then.

If he said yes – the Thunderbirds would fly.

If he said no …

"Well son?" boomed the voice of authority.

He felt his stomach lurch.

"Dad I need more time to think about it." he faltered.

His Father's eyebrows drew together in a frown. He was clearly displeased at his perceived negativity.

"Why do you need to think about it? Don't you think the organisation has merit?"

"Oh no Sir … of course it does …it's wonderful but …"

He paused and put down his own cup.

"Sir, my procrastination has nothing to do with the organisation. I just have a number of things I have to consider besides walking away from the Air Force."

"Such as?" was the imperious reply.

His nervousness grew as he realised he had no option but to tell his Father about his relationship with Adelaide Reynolds.

He began to stumble. "Well …umm ... it's like this Dad. "he stammered. "I'm… I'm sort of seeing someone at the moment."

There was a surprised lull in the conversation, almost as if, at twenty eight, his Father expected him to be leading the same lonely and celibate life he was.

"You've never said anything to me about a woman." was the quiet accusation.

"I know Sir." was the equally quiet reply.

He stopped short of saying it was because he knew he probably wouldn't approve of her.

The voice poised on disapproval and suspicion.

"Is it serious?"

He coloured, realising with shame he didn't know the answer to that himself. In the four years he and Adelaide Reynolds had been together, it had never occurred to him where their relationship might be heading or in fact, if it was heading anywhere at all.

"There's no ring Dad if that's what you mean." he finally admitted.

His Father's chin lifted authoritatively.

"Then it would be reasonable for me to assume it isn't anything serious."

The statement was made almost as easily as his statement about arranging a discharge from the Air Force. End the career… no problem. End the relationship … no problem there either.

Before he had a chance to explain about the way things were with Adelaide, his Father dropped the real bombshell.

"Scott what you do in your private life is your own business and I am fully aware of that. The only reason for my concern is security. The security of International Rescue depends entirely on secrecy and it is my intention to strictly maintain that secrecy at all costs," he warned. "Once operations begin here I will not be prepared to compromise for anything or anybody. I hope I'm making myself clear."

The authority left his voice.

"I do understand you have needs only a woman can satisfy son." he said quietly.

"Dad I …" he heard himself flounder.

But his Father wasn't listening. He simply stared straight ahead and continued emotionlessly on.

"And it goes without saying all of you will be given the time and the money to pursue whatever those needs entail."

The authority returned with an unmistakeable emphasis.

"_**Off Base." **_

Those two words echoed through his head over and over again as he sat staring at the tablecloth in the corner of the intimate restaurant.

Why he hadn't said no at that point he honestly didn't know. He didn't have too much of an issue about leaving the Air Force to fly that classy silver Thunderbird, but he had a real issue with being expected to live the life of a monk on a tropical island fifteen thousand miles from the middle of nowhere. Surely his Father could understand a few days leave every now and then wouldn't be enough for any man to ...well to "pursue his needs."

Well couldn't he?

But one look at the stony face of Jefferson Tracy told him he couldn't and it wasn't a subject he was prepared to discuss anymore either.

And so, feeling sick to the depths of his stomach, he gave the answer his Father wanted to hear and returned to his life in Nevada, fully aware that if Virgil and John agreed to the proposal too, his days in the Air Force were numbered.

And so were his days with Adelaide Reynolds.

For a couple of weeks he heard nothing and he began to wonder if the dream of International Rescue would only ever be a dream. He was tempted to call his Father to see if his two middle brothers were being difficult, but in the end decided to restrain himself and remain silent. It was no skin off his nose if he stayed in the Air Force.

Virgil eventually called to discuss things and right from the beginning made it clear he was unhappy with their Father. As second eldest he took exception to being the last one asked, wasn't sure if he agreed with it anyway and was very unwilling to commit himself.

"Virgil someone's got to go last." he offered to the disgruntled face glaring at him from the depths of the minute plasma screen.

"You're right, someone does and isn't it funny how that someone always happens to be me." was the acid reply.

"Oh come on Virg settle down huh?" he urged. "Dad probably doesn't even realise."

"Dad doesn't realise a lot of things and one of them is I just might not share his enthusiasm for wanting to rush out and save the world at this particular point in my life."

His features settled into an uncustomary frown.

"Honestly Scott you amaze me sometimes. I can't believe the "in for life career man" would actually consider giving up his Commission to go along with this crazy rescue scheme of Dad's. That's the reason I called you. I told Johnny I had to hear you say it to me for myself."

Virgil had always had a knack of injecting doubt into matters of family argument especially when he didn't think the decision being made was right. He had a special gift of intuition when things were important and nine times out of ten he ended up being right.

But this time it was different. Right or wrong, intuition or no intuition, the decision regarding International Rescue had been made, and there was no backing out of it now.

"All right if you need to hear me say it, consider it said to you then." was his dry reply. "Dad wants the five of us to make International Rescue work for him and that's the end of it from where I stand."

Virgil shrugged his broad shoulders with his usual non-chalantness.

"Well if that's the way it is then, dear old Dad's going to have to do a hell of a lot more talking if he wants Johnny to jump ship for him." he pointed out. "Did you know he said no last week without taking a breath?"

Virgil waited for him to comment.

When he didn't, he added. "Dad was so pissed off. By the time he got around to calling me he was so angry, I felt like I was the one to blame or something."

He never thought he'd ever feel the need to justify his Father's actions but all of sudden the words of defence seemed to pour out of him from nowhere.

"Dad had every right to be pissed off if that's the way John spoke to him." he stressed with brotherly firmness. "He's been more than good to us since Mom died and this is the first and only time he's ever asked for something back."

Virgil gave a sarcastic huff.

"Good to us? Maybe to those of us who didn't remind him too much of our Mother you mean." he shot back, still nursing the pain of his unhappy childhood memories.

"Virgil you know as well as I do that's not true," he interjected." There's no way you can look me in the face and say Dad wasn't good to you too."

His younger brother looked dubious.

"You can believe whatever you want I suppose, but it's Johnny, not me, you have to convince. I'm telling you right now Scott, he's completely "antsy" when it comes to Dad and no matter what you or anyone says, he is NOT going to come back to the fold for International Rescue."

The brother who bore such a striking resemblance to the first and only woman he had ever loved stood firm, waiting for the rebuttal.

The rebuttal came but not with the force he expected.

"Johnny has to do it for him Virg." were his impassive words. "One of his reasons for doing this is our Mother."

Virgil frowned suspiciously.

"Did Dad tell you that?"

"Don't be stupid. Of course he didn't tell me that."

"Well how do you know then?"

"I just do all right?" he snapped. "And believe me, if I thought he was doing this for any other reason I'd have said no to him myself."

The two of them looked at each other through the screen in stony silence.

"Jesus, Scott." Virgil murmured. "You really do mean that don't you?"

"Of course I do. You ought to know by now an Officer in the United States Air Force means everything he says."

The comment, intended to make fun of their Father's favourite line to them when they were children, immediately aggravated the even-tempered Virgil.

"Oh _spare_ me will you?" he flashed, "I've put up with Dad's military crap for the whole twenty five years of my life and I don't need you to feed me any more of it now."

Virgil's unexpected outburst startled him. He thought he'd take the familiar old line as a joke. But the disgruntled features bristling at him through the com-link told him he was wrong. Virgil didn't think anything was funny at the moment and by the look of him, was almost as "antsy" as their brother professed to be.

"All right I'll just look you in the face and give it to you straight then." he snarled in return. "Our Father is doing this for our Mother and you and Johnny owe him just as much as I do. You can take that little piece of "military crap" any way you damn well like."

"Thank you Captain Tracy. I believe I will." Virgil sniffed.

Then a broad grin broke across his features.

"And **_just_** for the record **_SIR,_** that's all you needed to say to me in the first place."

He shook his head. Sometimes he just couldn't keep up with Virgil. One minute he was troublesome and arguing the point, the next he was smiling and acting like he'd been agreeing all along.

A smile broke across his own face. He really did love this brother. They were completely the opposite of each other in everything they said and did, but strangely enough, when they were together, they were the perfect allies.

"OK smart-ass" he laughed. "_**Just** _for the record, I'll remember you said that."

With the atmosphere between them relaxed, the two of them went on to talk things over and after a long discussion agreed John should be approached again.

"But it's better if I do it." Virgil said with a forthrightness which instantly earned him the infamous Scott Tracy glare.

"And what, may I ask, qualifies you to say that?"

"Well …no offence or anything big brother." said the calm and sensible voice. "But Johnny's got a bit of a thing about how close you are to Dad and the way I figure it, if you're the one who asks him to reconsider, even if you say it's for Mom, it may as well be the old man asking for all the good it will do."

This time he received more than the infamous glare for his trouble.

"That's a load of crap Virgil. I know how to handle Johnny with both hands tied behind my back."

But the voice of reason was unrelenting.

"Scott, if the object of this exercise is to get Johnny to join us, I suggest you listen to me for a change. Butt out for once in your life."

The chestnut features lit up again into the same magic smile a beautiful young woman once gave a wide-eyed little boy as he stood next to her bed so many years ago.

"You may not like to admit it, but you're not the only one who qualifies as a big brother in this family you know." he smirked.

The smile grew bigger.

"And hey …**_JUST_** for the record** Captain**, I'm really rather good at it."

Their conversation ended with both of them laughing at their pathetic power-struggle and Virgil promising to do everything he could to convince John to reconsider.

But in the days and weeks that followed he heard nothing from anyone again.

Nothing from his Father.

Nothing from Virgil.

Until today when he landed his sleek air force jet on the tarmac at Nellis Air Force base after an exhausting and exhilarating two weeks in the squadrons of Red Flag.

The message from Tracy Island was curt and to the point. His discharge from the Air Force had been arranged and he would be free to leave Nellis at the end of the month. He was to leave quietly and without fuss. Under no circumstances was he to draw any attention to himself or say anything to anyone about why he had "resigned his commission."

"You have two weeks to finalise your affairs on the mainland and attend to your personal matters." his Father informed him. "Then I will require you here."

"Attend to your personal matters."

He knew without asking what his Father meant by that. He only had two weeks to decide whether to end his relationship with Adelaide Reynolds, do something about it or make "other arrangements."

His attention reverted to stunning blonde in the little black dress.

Ending the relationship wasn't even an option to him and neither was the demeaning thought of having to make "other arrangements" with her to periodically "pursue his needs." What he had was physically satisfying and he wasn't prepared to give it up for International Rescue.

Marrying her was the right thing to do.

His hand moved nervously to his jacket pocket and rested on the carefully concealed box.

Marrying her was the only thing he could do.

He cleared his throat and began. "Addie."

She looked over at him through the candlelight.

"Yes?"

"Addie …Dad called me today."

She picked up her glass with indifference and moved it in the direction of her lips.

"Your Father always calls." she shrugged taking a sip of the carefully selected cava. "Mmm…" she observed half to herself and half to him. "You know this isn't bad considering you allowed some waiter to select it for you."

He deliberately chose to ignore the pointed remark and tried to concentrate on what he was about to say. Even though his proposal was completely the result of necessity, for both their sakes in the future, he wanted it to be sincere.

She, on the other hand, gave no thought to what she was saying at all.

"So?"

"So what?"

"**_So_**, Scott, which one of them does he expect you to sort out for him this time?"

Again he chose to ignore her. She had never understood the fatherly devotion he had to his little brothers and he had long since given up hope that she would. She also hated the fact his Father relied on him for support whenever there were problems. They all needed to take a good, hard look at themselves, she said, stand on their own two feet for a change, and leave him alone to lead his life with her.

"No Adelaide." he said grimly. "That wasn't why he called."

She moved the glass to her lips once more.

"Humph that's a first." she scoffed raising her eyebrows at him. "Wouldn't you agree?"

He ignored her for the third time and lifted his own glass.

"You're right." he nodded, trying to change the subject. "This is rather a palatable drop."

Their glasses lowered to the table in unison.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"For goodness sake Scott!" she snapped with growing impatience. "What did your Father want?"

He shifted again in the chair and nervously glanced about. Her voice was becoming loud again and he knew those at the adjoining tables would take great delight in listening to anything he had to say to her. He also knew everyone in the restaurant was aware he was Jefferson Tracy's eldest son. He grimaced and tried to pretend it didn't bother him, but he was never comfortable discussing anything to do with his Father or Tracy Enterprises when he thought he might be heard.

"Don't worry, it wasn't anything important." he mumbled.

He immediately admonished himself in disgust. What in the hell was he saying to her? Of course what his Father had wanted was important and if he wanted Adelaide Reynolds to agree to become a part of it, he had to tell her everything and he had to tell her now.

"Wait a minute baby." he confessed in a low and guilty voice. "I'm afraid that isn't quite the truth. "

Well if he didn't have her attention before, he certainly had it now. The words had hardly left his mouth before her eyes riveted to his.

"What do you mean it isn't quite the truth?"

This was getting difficult. Tangled in a deadly web of lies and inconsistency, there was now no option but for him to come clean about his hasty summons to Tracy Island.

"Listen Addie, Dad didn't call me home last month because my Grandmother was ill." he admitted as quietly as he could. "He called me home to talk to me about my future in the Air Force."

She frowned and looked at him questioningly.

"Your future?"

"Yes."

Silence.

"So why did you tell me your Grandmother was ill?"

Silence.

"I dunno Addie. I guess I had to tell you something."

Her face reddened.

"So rather than admit you still have to jump six feet in the air every time your Father opens his mouth, you decided to lie to me." she snapped.

"It wasn't my intention to lie to anyone."

Her accusing voice cut the air like a knife.

"But you did lie Scott and you kept right on lying even when you came back."

This wasn't a good start to a marriage proposal. She was still in a huff over the waiter and of all the things she hated it was lies. He cursed himself for not taking the time to think of a more honest excuse when his Father had called him home.

"OK Addie, I admit that I lied and I'm really very sorry. But you have to understand I didn't have much of a choice with this. Dad asked me not to say anything to anyone and I promised him I wouldn't."

"What? Even to me?"

He hung his head. He couldn't bring himself to tell her he'd only just admitted he was seeing her.

"Yes honey. Even to you."

Silence.

Thank goodness for the gift of common sense. She was insulted enough he didn't trust her and after nearly four years together, he supposed he couldn't blame her. Despite their occasional ups and downs their relationship had always been one hundred per cent honest and they had never kept any secrets from each other.

"So …I gather from the sudden confession you're prepared to tell me now?"

His head nodded stiffly. He had to tell her everything. He knew he did. She had a right to know he'd be flying Thunderbird One at ridiculous speeds at all hours of the day and night to destinations all over the world. She had a right to know he'd be calling the shots in dangerous and life-threatening situations, risking his life for people he'd never met before and would never meet again. She had a right to know if anything went wrong he might not be coming home to her and she would be left alone.

But he couldn't tell her all of it until after she had a wedding ring planted firmly on her finger. He knew what her answer would be if he did.

He found himself glancing around the room again. He should never have decided to do this in a restaurant. It was far too risky. His Father's warning to keep a low profile and not draw any attention to himself sounded loudly in his head.

His hand left the pocket of his coat and reached across the table for hers. She reluctantly allowed him to take it but the look she gave him in the semi-darkness was that of total suspicion and distrust.

"Baby I know should have told you this before but I wasn't even sure it would happen."

He watched her carefully for some sort of reaction but as usual the ice-cool Adelaide Reynolds gave away nothing. When her expression didn't alter he stumbled blindly on.

"Addie…it's like this. Dad's asked me to resign my Commission to go and work for him."

Their eyes locked in the candlelight.

"And I've decided to accept. I leave Nellis in a fortnight."

Her eyes widened with surprise and for a few moments she was too shell-shocked to speak. For as long as they'd been together she had been trying to convince him to forget about his stupid passion for speed and suicidal flight and take his rightful place beside his Father in the cut-throat world of Tracy Enterprises. He was the eldest son of a billionaire, she told him, and he owed it to himself and to her to be moving in more appropriate circles than those of the United States Air Force.

"Oh my God Scott ..." she breathed. "I can't believe you've finally come to your senses."

Oh boy. He wished she hadn't said that. If she knew what he was actually going to be doing for his Father, she'd not only tell him he was crazy, she'd move to have him committed for sure. But for now she didn't need to know and he had no earthly intention of telling her.

The charade continued.

"What did your Father say to make you change your mind?" she asked, still completely stunned.

He forced himself to smile.

"Dad can be pretty persuasive when he wants to be." he said, trying to sound laid back. "I guess you could say this time he made me an offer I couldn't refuse."

He watched with trepidation as her whole expression changed, but as she broke into her selfish, self-centred prattle, he realised he had nothing to fear with his decision to propose. Faced with the reality of finally living the kind of life she had only ever dreamed of, her displeasure at his deception had vanished into nowhere.

"I'm going to have to buy a whole new wardrobe when the two of us get to New York. "she babbled, her eyes sparkling with the excitement of further material wealth. "And you'll have to update the Jag as soon as we arrive. It can't be good for business to have you driving a car that's almost twelve months old."

Now his stomach really began to churn.

"Addie ..." he interrupted.

"And then there's the Penthouse I've always wanted. Scott, we simply have to have the Penthouse."

She paused and squeezed his hand. "Imagine it darling… the future of Tracy Enterprises locked together overlooking the Hudson. My God …" she breathed, closing both eyes and imagining the sensation of their bodies as one in the darkness . "How good is that gonna be."

Any other time he'd be swept away with the thought of her lying naked in his arms high above New York City, but at the moment all he could do was panic.

"Addie please." he interrupted again.

But she still hadn't taken a breath.

"We'll need somewhere for your corporate jet to land of course ... I don't want you wasting your time at Airports. And it will have to be big enough for us to hold dinner parties. You know I won't be able to survive without dinner parties."

"Addie ... please …"

"And once a week I can …"

"Addie listen to me. The job isn't in New York." he blurted, blindly divulging the information he hadn't wanted to give her.

It took quite a few minutes for her to absorb it.

"What?" she gasped.

"I said the job Dad's offered me isn't based in New York." he repeated trying to convince himself he wasn't feeling sick. "I'll be visiting the New York Offices every now and then but only when Dad needs me to."

He felt her hand slacken in his grasp and saw her whole face fall. She had always had her heart set on living in New York and clearly wasn't pleased he was taking that away from her.

"Tracy Enterprises is based in New York." she said firmly. "And as far as I'm concerned that's where the two of us are going to live."

He was really uneasy now. The way this conversation was heading it wouldn't be long before she started asking him questions and he knew he was going to have to answer her.

He lifted her hand to his lips and looked at her through the candlelight with his flashing blue eyes. If ever he needed to call on the gift of the Tracy charm it was now.

"Well if nothing else I like the idea of you and me together overlooking the Hudson." he grinned, carefully easing his way around the difficult subject. "That's enough to make any man head to New York."

"I'm glad you see it my way." she said dispassionately. "Because that's the way it is."

Silence and the unmistakeable echoing of his Father's words.

"_Attend to your personal matters."_

"_Once operations begin I will not be prepared to compromise security for anything or anybody."_

"_**Anybody." **_

He knew anybody included the beautiful Adelaide Reynolds.

And thus began the most devastating conversation of his life.

"Adelaide I've been thinking."

"Really? What about this time?"

"You and me."

"What? Overlooking the Hudson?"

"No … well yes … who wouldn't?"

"Scott Tracy you're insatiable."

"I guess I've been away from you too long babe."

Silence.

"But seriously Addie I'm twenty eight and … ummm… I think it's time I settled down."

"Leaving the Air Force is a step in the right direction."

"Yes I suppose so. But that's not exactly what I meant."

"What exactly _do _you mean then?"

"I was talking more about you and me."

He squeezed her hand.

"Us."

Silence.

"What about us?"

"We've been together for a long time baby."

"I know. Four years in the fall."

Silence.

Four years.

Four years of good times, mutual friends, and intense physical pleasure. Even with her egotism and lack of consideration for others, he had to admit he'd enjoyed every single minute of it. She was beautiful, she was sensual and each and every time he lay trapped deep within the depths of her abyss, he told himself life couldn't get any better.

"Addie. You know you mean the world to me don't you?"

"I like to think I do."

"And I love you very much."

"The feeling's mutual."

"And when I umm…leave Nellis … I don't want to have to live without you."

"You won't."

Silence.

"_Provided_ you talk your Father into letting you live in New York."

Silence.

"Baby I've already told you, the job Dad's offered me isn't anywhere near New York."

"And I've already told you New York is where we're going to live."

"I can't live in New York Addie."

"Why the hell can't you?"

"I just can't."

Silence.

"I can't because the job's based at home."

"Home? Like the middle of the Pacific Ocean?"

"Yes."

Silence.

"What the hell's your Father got you doing all the way out there?"

Silence.

"Addie I'm not allowed to tell you."

"You're expecting me to go and live out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and you're not allowed to tell me?"

"I can't... not yet anyway."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means exactly that."

Silence.

"It's illegal isn't it?"

"No! Of course it's not illegal. My Father's the most honest person on this earth."

"More honest than his son it seems."

"Addie I am not lying to you."

"Well tell me what you're doing then."

"I can't. It's business."

"Illegal business."

"It is NOT illegal."

An authoritative voice sounded out beside them.

"Is everything all right here Mr. Tracy?"

He looked up to recognise the stern face of the Maitre D' and to realise everyone in the restaurant was looking at them. He turned scarlet. Dear Lord he would really be in trouble now. Not only was an Officer in the United States Air Force arguing with a woman in a public place, the eldest son of Jefferson Tracy was being loudly accused of involvement in illegal activities. He swallowed at his stupidity. He should have known better than to start this at all.

He pulled at his collar and tried to regain his composure.

"Forgive me Sir. I didn't realise our conversation had become so loud."

The Maitre D' gave him a testy nod and moved away from the table.

"Very good Mr. Tracy."

Silence.

"Don't even think about blaming me. You were every bit as loud as I was."

"I'm not blaming you. The whole thing was my fault Adelaide. I shouldn't have said anything about it in the first place."

Silence.

"So now what? Are you just going to sit there all night and say nothing?"

"No but this isn't the place to discuss our private life let alone the confidential business affairs of my Father."

"Scott ..."

"Leave it alone Addie. Can't you see I've made a big enough fool of myself already?"

There was a curt and very clear warning in his tone and for once she was astute enough to recognise it. But her eyes continued to question him throughout the rest of the meal and he was more than happy when they were able to leave the restaurant so their conversation could continue alone.

"I'm very sorry for my earlier indiscretion Sir." he apologised as he paid the cheque and offered a substantial tip. "I can assure you it will never happen again."

The Maitre D' smiled agreeably and accepted the money from his outstretched hand.

"All completely forgotten Mr. Tracy." he said, folding the ten brand new notes and sliding them into the pocket of his jacket. "I trust we will see you and the young lady soon."

"Yes …thank you." he replied. "Good night to you Sir."

He sighed and walked out to where she waited, her blonde magnificence bathed in the artificial daylight of the hot Las Vegas night. He didn't know what the next few hours between them would bring and despite the altercation earlier, deep down in his heart he hoped things would somehow work out.

His eyes scanned the clear unclouded sky.

"_The girl you ask to marry you will be beautiful on the outside and beautiful on the inside and she will make you the happiest man in the whole wide world."_

If only she was here to give him guidance. If only she could assure him Adelaide was the one.

But she wasn't here anymore.

She hadn't been here for nineteen years.

He extended his hand towards her.

"Walk with me Ads?" he offered.

The hand that took his was once again reluctant and he didn't need too much intelligence to recognise she was unhappy.

They set off along the brightly lit sidewalk.

And thus continued the most devastating conversation of his life…

"Addie I'm sorry for how I spoke to you in the Restaurant. I'm afraid all this has hit me at once and I'm having a lot of trouble dealing with it."

"You're not the only one having trouble at the moment you know. Do you realise how upsetting it is to be told you're expected to move to an island in the middle of nowhere with someone who's doing God knows what and isn't prepared to tell you what it is?"

"I know I'm asking a lot. But I need you to trust me on this one."

She stopped and pulled her hand away in frustration.

"Trust you? Scott why the hell can't you trust me?"

Silence.

"Baby all I can say is that what Dad's asked me do isn't illegal or immoral and it's going to make a very big difference to a lot of people in the world."

"While I sit around rotting in hell at your Father's expense."

"Addie.. no. Tracy Island is far from being hell. It's beautiful out there …and besides you'll be free to come and go as often you please."

"Free? How the hell can I be free? Unlike you, I don't spend every spare minute of my time playing with aircraft and it's a damn long way to swim."

"Don't be silly. There'll always be someone coming or going to the mainland."

Silence.

"I love you babe and I don't want to do this without you. Please come with me. You'll have the finest of everything I promise."

Silence.

"I mean it Addie. Anything you want it'll be yours."

Silence.

"Anything?"

"Yes."

"All right… I want a Penthouse in New York."

"I can buy you that."

"And I want to have dinner parties."

"We can have dinner parties when I'm over there on Business."

"Scott, a couple of lousy business trips isn't enough to make up for living my life most of the year on a God damned tropical island."

Silence.

He braced himself, reached into his pocket with his free hand and carefully took out the small velvet box. This wasn't anything like he'd planned it but it was better than no proposal at all. Without taking his eyes off her he opened his palm to reveal the box.

"Will something like this make you change your mind?"

Silence.

"Addie all evening I've been trying to find the right time to tell you that I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Silence.

She wasn't reacting at all.

"Baby don't you understand me? I'm asking you to become my wife."

He opened the box to signal his intent was genuine. A simple but elegant gold band set with delicate diamonds and sapphires sparkled brightly in the night lights of Las Vegas.

Silence.

She still didn't react.

"Addie?"

Silence.

"Addie please say something."

Silence …and the shake of disbelief from a bottle blonde head.

"You're joking with me now right?"

"Huh? No ... no I mean it. I want us to get married. The sooner we do it the better."

"I'm not talking about getting married. I'm talking about THAT."

"What? The ring?"

"Yes Scott. THE RING. I can't believe you're standing there offering me something like that. "

"What do you mean by that?"

"What do I mean? It's cheap, it's hideous and it's totally inappropriate for a billionaire's wife that's what I mean."

Silence.

Silence from her.

Silence from him.

Silence from both of them.

And then his reply of frozen outrage.

"_Adelaide, I'll have you know this ring belonged to my Mother."

* * *

_

_**NEXT CHAPTER - A MAN REMEMBERS - PART 2 (LIAISONS IN NEW YORK)

* * *

**_


	4. chapter 4

_Author's Note – Again I am indebted to those who have reviewed and given me their own insights into this wench of a woman. This is the last piece of the puzzle before we move to the story proper ...mcj _

**CHAPTER TWO**

**A MAN REMEMBERS – PART TWO **

**(LIAISONS IN NEW YORK)**

An exhausted, crumpled shadow sitting desolately in the darkness… the muffled sound of sobbing into a pair of trembling hands… the soothing voice of a mother trying everything to make things right … and a ring that sparkled and glowed on the table courtesy of the nightlight on the stairs.

Memories of his Father the night she was taken away from him and the memories that festered and burned in his gut as he stood on the sidewalk in Las Vegas listening to Adelaide Reynolds ridicule his Mother's most precious possession.

She had no idea what that ring symbolised, in fact, she had no idea about anything. She hadn't witnessed what he had witnessed as a child. She hadn't seen the open displays of affection, the laughing and the teasing or the way his Father's eyes lit up with adoration whenever his Mother entered a room. She'd never understand how deeply his Father had loved her or how devastated he had been when she died.

What's more, he knew she didn't care.

All she cared about was the price of his Mother's engagement ring.

And remembering how he felt the one and only time he ever saw his Daddy cry, that had been the last straw for him.

He absolutely exploded.

No-one, he railed, especially not her with her trumped up million dollar price tag, had the right to treat something which had meant so much to his Mother with such utter disrespect. He knew her ring wasn't the Hope Diamond; he wasn't an idiot when it came to the value of things; but as far as he was concerned the Hope Diamond paled into a pathetic insignificance when he compared it to the simple gold band he held in the palm of his right hand. Those six modest diamonds and sapphires told a story… a story of the love that had brought him into the world and no matter how "hideous" and how "unsuitable" they seemed to be to her, in his opinion they were priceless.

The words "hideous" and "unsuitable" spat from his lips like venom.

"I expect you to apologise Adelaide." he barked in a voice that would have made any military man cringe. "And I expect you to do it now."

The argument between them really started then.

She had no intention of apologising.

The whole evening had been a disaster from the beginning. Nothing she'd said or done since he came back from playing his silly little war games had been right. He'd accused her of being rude to a waiter when she wasn't, lied to her about his Father, blamed her for the argument in the Restaurant, wouldn't trust her with his plans and now to make matters worse, he had the nerve to yell at her in front of half of Las Vegas because she hadn't fallen in love with his Mother's "priceless" little engagement ring.

Her last sentence reeked with a sarcasm even he didn't think she was capable of.

He turned on her in a flurry of rage and this time he didn't care who recognised him as an Officer in the United States Air Force. She _had_ been rude to the waiter. She was rude to everyone. She was rude so often she didn't even realise she was doing it. It was about time she understood that being involved with a Tracy son did **_not _**give her the right to downgrade and humiliate those around her. She was no better than anybody else and he was tired of having to constantly make excuses for her behaviour.

He didn't get any further.

It was her turn to explode.

So he thought it was easy being involved with a Tracy son did he? Well just for the record it wasn't. It was all right for him to have black moods when things weren't going right for him and carry on with his egotistical arrogance when they were so why did she have to constantly watch what she said and did all the time? It was for no other reason than it suited him. She didn't give a damn about his precious reputation. She was tired of being told how to behave in public and if he wanted to know the honest truth, she was getting tired of him too.

He listened to her stony-faced, trying to control his temper and wondering how he could have been so openly blind for the past four years of his life. Anyone with half his intelligence could see this wasn't the sort of love his parents had shared together. It wasn't even close. How could he have been so brainless as to try and convince himself that it was?

_"You have two weeks to attend to your personal matters. Then I will require you here."_

His Father's words sounded in his head again but this time there was no agony of decision or worry of regret. The curtains of physical lust had been drawn away from him and for the first time since he'd met her, he was seeing things for how they really were.

There was no future in his relationship with Adelaide Reynolds.

There never had been and there never would be.

But before he could pull himself together and have the satisfaction of ending it, she took two steps forward, looked him squarely in the face and proceeded to tear him to the bone.

He might be a Tracy son and he might think he knew everything about love but he had a long way to go when it came to loving a woman. There were only three things he would ever love ...himself … his precious fighter jet and "Daddy".

"Daddy" wanted him to sort out his little brothers for him, so he did. "Daddy" said he should join the Air Force, so he did. "Daddy" told him to leave the Air Force, so he did that too.

And now Daddy wanted him to go and live on some stupid tropical island in the middle of nowhere and work for him and he was so damned frightened of saying no and displeasing "Daddy" that he was actually prepared to give up everything that was important in his life and do it. Couldn't he make any decisions of his own? Wasn't he supposed to be a man?

He simply stood on the sidewalk looking down at her in a deadly, restrained silence.

Lifting her chin, their eyes met one last time on that hot Las Vegas night.

Well, she hoped he was listening to what she was about to say because she wasn't going to say it to him again. If pleasing "Daddy" was all he wanted out of life he was welcome to go ahead and do it. He didn't need a woman to keep "Daddy" happy and while she was on the subject of who needed what, she didn't need his Mother's revolting little engagement ring either.

If he wasn't man enough to stand up to "Daddy", she was going to find herself a man who could.

Her manicured hand extended towards him, demanding the keys to the Jag.

He could find his own way home to Nellis.

As far as she was concerned … it was over.

_**New York City ... twelve lonely months later...**_

The two monthly trips to New York were tedious but after being holed up on Tracy Island with his brothers twenty four hours a day, they were a very welcome diversion. It wasn't as if he was bored in International Rescue, in fact the operation had hit the ground running, but it was still nice to get back amongst the hustle and bustle of the city again and blend right into the crowd.

That was of course, if blending into the crowd meant instant recognition the moment you stepped out of a taxi cab and tried to make your way to the sidewalk.

"Mr Tracy, if I could have a moment of your time Sir ..."

"Mr Tracy ... can you comment..."

"Mr Tracy, is it true ..."

"Mr. Tracy ..."

Despite how weary he was from the journey, he forced himself to smile and listened to them attentively.

When he was finally given the opportunity to speak he was eloquent, courteous, and charming…and like his Father, very much to the point.

"I'm sorry Gentlemen, I know you've been waiting to speak to me all morning but I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to discuss matters pertaining to Tracy Enterprises right now. Now if you don't mind please..." he said, trying to wend through the never-ending sea of microphones," I'm late for a rather important meeting."

"Can you comment if the subject is the take-over of Washington Industries Mr. Tracy?"

He paused, thought for a moment, and then replied.

"I am in New York for many reasons Gentlemen, none of which I intend to advertise."

With that he turned and moved towards the marble stairs leading into the Tracy Towers.

"Mr. Tracy ..." came a single but insistent voice from the crowd. "Are you also prepared to comment on the rumour your Father has turned his back on the world and will never be returning to New York?"

He stopped and looked back at the assembled journalists almost with a kind of sympathy. Sometimes he wondered where they got their information from.

" I can give you every assurance those rumours are not true." he said carefully." My Father has no intention of turning his back on New York now or at any time in the future. "

"But Mr. Tracy, he hasn't been seen here for months."

The smile this time was one of amusement.

"I guess you could say my Father's been kind of busy lately." he grinned with a flippant shrug of his shoulders. "Have a good day Gentlemen."

"Kind of busy."

He found it hard not to laugh as he strode through the richly furnished foyer of Tracy Enterprises and made his way to the elevator. He guessed those three little words pretty well summed up life on Tracy Island at the moment.

Not a week had gone by since operations had begun that he and his brothers hadn't been thrown into some sort of life threatening situation. They'd been so busy he'd lost track of the time and had actually given up counting the number of lives they'd saved with their speed and exceptional equipment.

It was the perfect lifestyle.

When he wasn't commanding International Rescue in the field or testing the new equipment for Brains, he made it his business to follow the stock market and design new air craft for Tracy Enterprises. If work became too much of a drag, he was happy to revert to the many idle past-times available to him on Tracy Island.

He shot the odd game of pool with Virgil or indulged in an exhilarating game of chess. He trained in the gym for hours and pushed his body to the highest levels of fitness and strength. He relaxed by the swimming pool and enjoyed soaking up the sun. He sipped a glass of cognac and marveled in the magic of the Pacific sunsets.

The whole thing to him was a buzz and so far he hadn't regretted his decision to leave the Air Force at all.

But there was one thing missing from this idyllic billionaire's paradise and it was something he only missed in the evenings when the lights went out on Tracy Island and he retired to his bed alone.

The touch of a woman.

After four years, not having a woman in his arms was hard and whilst he kept his frustrations very much to himself, he sometimes worried things might get the better of him and his pent-up tension would show.

His younger brothers were much less discreet about the subject, often joking about the limited female company and what living in celibate seclusion on a tropical island must be doing to their reputations as playboys. Most of it was simply talk or as their Father sternly put it, "their obvious lack of military training," but behind the all the frivolity and the laughing and the joking, he knew they were feeling exactly the same way he was feeling and it was no secret to anyone why the five of them lived for their periodic sojourns to the mainland.

Thoughts of long blonde hair, little black dresses and legs that went on forever ran through his mind as the elevator made its way to his personal suite in the Tracy Towers Penthouse, high above the headquarters of the family corporation.

It seemed like forever since …

Still, he told himself, leaving the elevator and pausing to look at the magnificent view over New York City; that was a situation he could easily change. New York was a great big city and no-one knew more than he did how readily parts of it would embrace the eldest son of the billionaire.

And in the next three days… and nights, even though the sole purpose of his visit was to conduct family business; he intended to embrace it all. No-one had indicated to him how much of his time he had to spend filling his Father's shoes and the least amount of time he spent the better. There were much more interesting things to do than sign paperwork and make calls, and the way he figured it, if he made an effort to get the business deals out of the way early, his time on the mainland would be pretty much his own.

Time to relax, time to socialize, and time to spend … he mused, reaching into his pocket for the sole access card to the Penthouse … "attending to his needs."

It was hard not to feel a small tingle of anticipation at the thought of being with a woman again.

But for now he had to stop thinking about women. He had been given an important job to do by his Father and he guessed he'd better get down to doing it.

Dealing the final blow to what was once the mighty Washington Industries.

Loosening his tie and undoing the top two buttons on his stylish designer shirt , he flopped himself down on the couch and opened his briefcase.

The take-over of Washington Industries had been instigated by his Father when the powerful Californian Based Company openly admitted to being in financial difficulty. Washington Industries had never been a threat to the giant Tracy Business Empire, but its product and the opportunity of securing its supply had immediately attracted the attention of the ever discerning Jefferson Tracy. Good quality engineering parts were hard to come by on the West Coast and there was no doubt the Company was strategically situated to service the needs of International Rescue.

"Nice fellow, James Washington." his Father acknowledged after their preliminary meeting in San Diego. "Knows nothing about business though. Beats me how he managed to get this far."

Flicking through the documents and familiarising himself with the contents, he had to admit he agreed.

Assets of eight billion… debts of almost nineteen... allegations of industrial fraud…a sorry trail of litigation... no available cash.

"International Rescue had better get some decent mileage out of this one Dad." he commented, thinking aloud. "It sure isn't looking too good for anything else."

He leaned forward in the chair and pressed the call button on the penthouse video-phone.

The face of his Father's Business Manager immediately appeared on the screen.

"Scott. Thank God." he breathed in a voice filled with tension and a very big sense of relief. "You're here."

"Hello Hank." he replied briskly. "Yes I'm here. Are you OK down there? You seem a little stressed."

"I'm worried." Hank Davies admitted. "You know I'm never comfortable with the word "take-over". That side of the business has always been your Father's specialty."

He laughed and looked reassuringly at his Father's most trusted business associate.

"I don't think you have anything to worry about Hank. This one's fairly straight forward. Washington's backed into a corner at the moment and he knows it. There's only one thing he can do if he wants to get out with at least some money in his pocket… and that's sign. "

Hank still looked doubtful.

"Relax will you?" he chided him. "Dad's fully briefed me on what I need to do and I'm more than capable of doing it."

Standing at the window, looking at the sun rising over Tracy Island and trying to put his emotions into some sort of order again, Scott Tracy remembered only too well those cocky self-assured words.

"Yeah right Tracy ..." he muttered staring at the horizon in disgust. "Dad fully briefed you on what you needed to do all right…"

His eyes misted in a combination of anger and silent grief.

"So why, you stupid bastard, didn't you just stick to doing it?"

If he had, none of this would have happened. He would never have put himself in the position of meeting that woman again ... she would never have had the opportunity of seducing him with her charms …

He lowered his head and swallowed the tears a Tracy man never allowed himself to shed.

_And he never would have Fathered Daniel._

The meeting to formalise the take-over of Washington Industries went smoothly and the whole thing from start to finish took him less than sixty minutes.

James Washington and his attorneys were a sorry sight when he strode into the board room with his usual air of confidence. He'd expected them to be bristling in anticipation or at least readying themselves for some sort of corporate battle but one look at the resignation on their faces soon indicated to him otherwise. They weren't ready for a battle. They were completely intimidated.

And who wouldn't be, he thought to himself. Given where they were situated at the moment and what was about to happen to Washington Industries, it would be mighty hard for any of them to be comfortable. Already unnerved by the journalists outside and confronted with the sheer might of Tracy Enterprises operating on its home turf, they were now forced to take their seats opposite the powerful Tracy legal team who, on instruction of his Father, outnumbered them two to one.

He fluttered about with niceties and tried to make them feel at ease. He introduced himself to James Washington and made pleasant conversation with the Attorneys. He offered everyone refreshments.

But finally as the smell of freshly brewed coffee filtered upwards into the air, he reinforced his position of power by making a deliberate observation on the commanding view Tracy Enterprises had over the City of New York.

"I always feel like I'm on top of the world when I'm looking out here." he commented, indicating to Hank Davies it was time to shade the massive full length windows and begin the meeting. "And as someone who regularly looks at the world from the air Gentlemen, that's one heck of a statement."

There was a silent nodding of heads as the natural light in the Boardroom was reduced and the magnificent view disappeared.

Taking a sip of his coffee, he walked to the head of the conference table and opened his file of papers.

"Well Gentlemen." he said pleasantly. "We all know why we're here so let's get down to Business."

And so it all began.

The terms of the take-over were generous, final and, he stressed looking directly into the eyes of James Washington … non-negotiable. Tracy Enterprises was prepared to make a once off payment of five million dollars to Washington Industries. In return, all assets, all investments and all debts of Washington Industries would immediately fall under the control of Tracy Enterprises.

The words had hardly left his mouth before James Washington's attorneys argued. From earlier discussions with his Father it had been clearly stated there would be at least ten million dollars payable to Washington Industries in the settlement. Five million, they emphasised, wouldn't even clear their client's personal debts.

"That's certainly unfortunate for your client." he replied in a firm and businesslike voice. "But I'm sure Mr Washington will appreciate your discussions with my Father were held six weeks prior to the latest allegations of Industrial fraud being made against your Company."

"They are allegations only at this point Mr Tracy." Washington's Senior Attorney pointed out.

He acknowledged the Attorney with a brisk nod of his head.

"Yes I am very aware they are still allegations at this point. However, as you can appreciate, fighting legal cases of that nature will hardly be an inexpensive exercise for Tracy Enterprises."

He once again looked at James Washington.

"Particularly if those allegations are proven to be true."

Washington's Attorneys looked at each other uneasily.

"Five million is the figure on the table Gentlemen." he stressed pushing the contract across the table and making it clear he wasn't prepared to back down. "Take it or leave it."

This time the Attorneys looked at James Washington and he had to admit if he hadn't been in the position of representing his Father in the business deal, he actually would have felt sorry for the guy. It couldn't have been easy sitting there watching his once prestigious Company sliding out of his control and at the same time having to admit in a public forum he wasn't in a position to meet his personal financial commitments.

The minutes ticked by.

"Look, it's a good deal Washington..." he re-iterated making the most of the uneasy silence. "…and you know as well as I do you're not going to find yourself a better one."

He looked over to his left and silently encouraged his Father's Senior Attorney to intercede.

"Mr Washington, the contracts are ready for your immediate signature." Kevin Baillie said, quietly, "And if you require it, I can make arrangements to get you the money within the hour."

James Washington tried not to look sick after his Attorneys leafed through the contracts one last time and unanimously recommended he should sign.

"All right Tracy." he choked. "You win. I'll accept the five million… "

He paused.

"…on one condition..."

Now it was the Tracy Enterprises Attorneys turn to argue.

"Mr Washington," Kevin Baillie interjected. "Mr Tracy has already made it quite clear to you that Tracy Enterprises is not prepared to …"

He frowned a little and silenced the attorney in mid-sentence with dismissive flick of his wrist.

"Thank you Kevin but it won't hurt to hear what he has to say."

"Scott …no." Hank Davies cautioned.

Another frown, this time in the direction of his Father's Business Manager, indicated he didn't appreciate the warning.

"All right Washington," he said turning to him with expectation. "I'm listening. What's your condition?"

The Attorneys on both sides of the table held their breath.

"I'll accept the offer Tracy and walk away for good on the sole condition you give my daughter-in-law a job."

For a few minutes the unusual request floored everyone and of all the people sitting in the Boardroom, he was the most surprised of them all. He had been expecting to be asked to agree to some sort of outrageous contract variation not an immaterial employment request.

For a few moments no-one found the words to speak.

"Well …err…" he finally stammered, reddening a little and trying to pull his head together. "That's certainly a strange condition."

He glanced at Hank Davies whose face indicated he was almost as astounded as he was.

"Can we … err … accommodate her Hank?"

"I err…suppose so." was the shaky reply. "What does she do Mr Washington?"

James Washington rolled his eyes.

"What does she do? She spends money that's what she does and once I sign away my Company to you, my brainless son isn't going to be in a position to stand back and let her do it."

He coloured, not knowing where to look.

"Look Tracy, all this is pretty demoralising for me and I'd appreciate it very much if we could discuss the matter without …"

He stopped and eyed the sea of Attorneys.

"Without our armies present."

The embarrassment on James Washington's face was obvious.

He chose to ignore his Father's attorneys as they vigorously shook their heads.

"Very well." he said, rising to his feet and indicating the door to his Father's office. "We can talk privately."

If nothing else, James Washington had a gift for inciting sympathy. Over the next hour, the former powerhouse of corporate wealth revealed a story of financial mismanagement at the hands of his own son. The young man, Mark was his name, had been a reasonably rational thinker until eleven months ago when he first set his eyes on **_her_**. Since then he'd acted like he didn't have a brain in his head. He married her within a month, quit his position in Washington Industries to move to New York and then got himself up to his eyeballs in debt trying to buy her the best of everything.

"Hmpph." he frowned. "and using my Company's money as his collateral."

Their eyes locked.

"He didn't help my financial position Tracy. Not one little bit."

"No," he agreed sympathetically. "I guess not."

James Washington shook his head with sadness.

"Stupid boy. He's finally woken up to himself and started working again but not until he'd lost just about everything."

His tone changed.

"I just wish he'd never met her..."

Then he sighed.

"But he did … and they're stuck with each other I suppose. For better or for worse...that's what they say anyway."

The once powerful businessman failed to suppress a laugh of true bitterness.

"You're lucky you know Tracy. You don't know too much about that side of life yet and if you're smart you'll do yourself a great big favour by keeping it that way."

The conversation ended with a friendly handshake and him agreeing to give Mark Washington's wife a job to help them make ends meet. She could make contact with Hank Davies within the week to sort out all the details.

However, he stressed, once again assuming the position of dominance, the arrangement was private and under no circumstances would it be factored into the contract as any part of the business deal.

"You don't have to worry about me changing my mind." he said extending his hand towards James Washington. "She has herself a job. You have my word as a Gentleman."

His word as a Gentleman.

That was how easy it had been for Adelaide Reynolds to re-enter his life.

His Father insisted nothing was worth more to a man's reputation than his word. If a Gentleman said he would do something, he did what was necessary to do it. If a Gentleman promised someone something, he did what ever was required to deliver it. A Gentleman did not change his mind because it suited him. A Gentleman always kept his word.

And in the Tracy family, all of its sons were Gentlemen.

That evening, as a gesture of goodwill, he invited James Washington and his family to attend a large corporate function which had been arranged to publicly announce the news of the take-over. The function was to be held on the first floor of the Tracy Towers Penthouse. James Washington had hesitated at the invitation but in the end agreed to bring his son and his daughter-in-law along.

"Oh stop it Hank." he reprimanded the protesting Business Manager. "What better opportunity are you going to get to work out where the hell you're going to put her around here?"

Hank Davies was clearly displeased at the inclusion of the Washington's at the function and had no hesitation in making his displeasure known.

"I agree with Hank. I don't know why we have to have them there at all." commented Kevin Baillie from his position in the corner of the room. "I'm very nervous about all this Scott and I'm sure if your Father was aware of what's going on, he'd be nervous too."

When he confronted the two of them and asked in no uncertain terms why, his Father's most experienced and long serving attorney didn't flinch.

"Scott, you're handling this one all wrong. Firstly you don't invite a former Company Head to be your guest at a take-over function and secondly, I'm not happy about employing his daughter-in-law without at least checking her out. You were in a very good position to say no to Washington's request this afternoon and if you want my opinion son, I think you should have said it."

The words were tempered with politeness but the inference behind them made him feel like he had just been slapped.

He absorbed the slight for a few moments before he cleared his throat.

"Thank you for the opportunity of letting me hear your opinion on the matter for the third consecutive time Kevin." came his very curt response. "But you must forgive me for completely disagreeing with you. From where I'm sitting, I did the right thing by everyone in that Boardroom today."

"Tracy Enterprises owed Washington nothing." Baillie insisted.

"I know it didn't Kevin." he flashed, becoming really annoyed." But irrespective of whether it did or it didn't, Scott Tracy agreeing to give some insignificant woman a job in his Father's Company is going to make little, if any, impact on the bottom line of Tracy Enterprises."

That had been one of the stupidest statements he had ever made.

He was right when he said she would make no impact on the bottom line of Tracy Enterprises... for now.

The impact had all been on him.

If the view from the Boardroom was incredible by day, nothing came close to what it was like from the Penthouse, as the busy streets of Manhattan transformed from the hustle and bustle of the daylight into the darkness and mystery of the night.

The Tracy Towers Penthouse sprawled majestically above Tracy Enterprises; twenty thousand square feet of well-appointed floor space stretching over three different levels. It was state of the art living at its absolute luxurious best.

The special corporate function for which no expense had been spared was soon underway on the first of the three enormous levels.

One hundred and fifty of his Fathers business associates were invited to attend the function that night and all one hundred and fifty of them eagerly made their appearance. The champagne flowed freely as he moved amongst the guests and the sumptuous buffet offered every gourmet combination.

The topic of discussion was Washington Industries and everyone who was anyone in the cut throat world of Aerospace was there to be seen and be heard.

"What I don't understand Tracy," were the words of more than one of them, "Is how the head of one of the richest corporations in the world can turn himself into a virtual recluse overnight and still continue to make a zillion dollars a week."

He laughed and swallowed his second glass of champagne.

Unlike with the journalists he had no intention of justifying his Father's actions to anyone. In the eyes of the Business world, Jefferson Tracy had always been the shrewdest of businessmen; one who never lost sight of the value of a dime and one who had worked his ass off every day of his life to make sure his dimes were wisely spent.

"No argument there." it was generally agreed. Recluse or no recluse, no-one knew more about making money in Aerospace than Mr. Jefferson Grant Tracy.

But everyone in the Penthouse felt the need to question the latest acquisition by Tracy Enterprises. How the corporation could justify a loss of eleven billion dollars in taking over Washington Industries was worrying to say the least.

Well if nothing else it certainly had the stock market worried.

"The Stock Market should know after twenty four years that Tracy Enterprises knows what it's doing." he stressed. "I made it quite clear earlier this evening that the acquisition in California was strategic."

It was in defending the business decisions of Tracy Enterprises that he became aware of James Washington's arrival at the Penthouse. His distinctive figure stood out at the entrance of the richly furnished function room as he reacquainted himself with Hank Davies and nervously fidgeted with his tie.

"Excuse me please will you." he apologised, moving away from his audience and making an effort to head towards the door. "I believe I'm required elsewhere."

The crowded room made moving difficult and it took him almost five minutes to zig-zag his way across. By the time he finally reached the foyer James Washington had a drink of bourbon in his hand and had been joined at the makeshift bar by the tall and almost identical figure of his only son.

His eyes then rounded in a kind of silent shock.

Behind Mark Washington and tightly holding his hand was the last person on earth he ever expected to see again.

_**HER.**_

His blood pressure dropped as the realisation dawned.

She was the woman James Washington had been talking about.

The whole of his face went white. This couldn't be happening to him.

She was the woman who had married James Washington's son.

His forehead beaded with sweat. What the hell had he done?

Dear God, he had agreed to give this woman a job.

The room began to spin before his eyes and he was forced to lean against the nearby wall to support himself. He couldn't allow **her** to work in Tracy Enterprises. He had every reason not to have anything to do with her.

"Over here Scott! " Hank Davies called dragging him out of his dazed confusion and motioning him forward to introduce the guests. "You know James of course."

He wiped his forehead with his handkerchief and somehow managed to get his legs to work again. Luckily the Tracy smile was well-practiced and it came to him with ease. Striding forward as if nothing was wrong, he extended his right hand in the direction of James Washington.

"Of course I know James. How are you tonight? Over the worst of it now I hope."

James Washington smiled in return and graciously returned the handshake.

"I'm fine now Scott, thank you very much. To be honest I'm glad the whole thing's over and done with."

"No doubt." he agreed, only half listening to his reply.

He then turned his attention to the tall, well dressed young man standing in the shadows nearby.

"And I gather you're Mark?" he enquired once again leaning forward and extending his right hand. "Scott Tracy. I'm very pleased to meet you."

"Likewise Mr.Tracy." Mark Washington said with true politeness. "Please allow me to introduce you to my wife Adelaide."

How he held himself together at that moment he'd honestly never know. In hindsight he put it down to his military training and his sheer force of will. It had to be one or the other because when Adelaide Reynolds deliberately extended her left hand to rub it in his face she was now another man's wife, he nearly lost control of everything.

"Mrs. Washington." he acknowledged, looking down at the wedding ring on her finger and trying not to choke. "Welcome to Tracy Enterprises."

"Thank you." she said smugly, looking at him with expectation and waiting for him to extend his hand in return.

He failed to return the gesture.

"I'm sorry to be so pedantic Mrs. Washington." he replied speaking with a real smugness of his own. "But here in Tracy Enterprises we have a policy of greeting our new staff and clients by offering each other our **_right_** hands."

He smiled and automatically raised his own and watched with satisfaction as she set her eyes on the enormous one carat Yale ring he wore on the fourth finger of his right hand.

"I'll remember that." she replied completing the handshake. "And may I say Mr. Tracy your ring is very, very impressive."

"Thank you Mrs. Washington. I accept your admiration as a very big compliment."

Without blinking an eye he then sank in the barb. "Your own ring is rather exquisite too if you don't mind me saying so. It actually reminds me of the one worn by my late Mother."

He turned to look at Mark Washington. "You must have the same excellent taste as my Father when it comes to selecting engagement rings Mark." he said pretending to be pleasant. "Congratulations."

"Oh no not me Mr. Tracy." Mark Washington hurriedly pointed out. "Adelaide is wearing my Mother's ring."

"Well." he observed looking back in her direction and raising one eyebrow. "Isn't that interesting?"

Only she knew the significance of the comment and she was giving away nothing. It was clear Mark Washington hadn't been made aware of their past relationship in Nevada and knowing Adelaide Reynolds as intimately as he did, that didn't surprise him at all.

But whilst not a single word came out of her mouth, her eyes told him she was furious and it was hard to restrain the very pressing urge to gloat.

The masquerade continued.

He assumed the role of the perfect host, walking with the three of them to the massive glass windows, pointing out landmarks in the bright Manhattan skyline and allowing them to absorb the view. He arranged for a special bottle of champagne to be opened and invited them to join him at the buffet.

"I hope you like French champagne Mrs. Washington." he said as he casually handed her the glass. "Some of the women I've met over the years don't profess to have a taste for it. Very socially unaware I'm sure you'll no doubt agree."

"Indeed." was all she could bring herself to say.

James Washington, like his son, failed to pick up on their cynical interaction.

"So tell me more about this Penthouse of yours Tracy." he interrupted, his eyes scanning the lavish surroundings. "I've never seen anything this impressive in my entire life. What do you usually use this area for and where the heck do you fit the bedrooms?"

He really enjoyed her reaction to that one. Her face was a mirror of envy as he informed James Washington the first floor was normally used for private Dinner parties.

"I've never been much of a Dinner Party man myself, but I have to admit when all of us are here in New York, Tin-Tin always seems to extend herself and we have a lot of fun. She loves to entertain and there's never a shortage of fashion industry names whenever she's around. "

"Some of the models she invites," he added with a smirk, "Keep my brothers and I rather busy."

He then continued on to describe the extent of the decadent luxury which existed on the top two floors above them.

Ten massive suites. All self appointed with the finest of everything. Accessible by private invitation only.

"My own suite overlooks the Hudson River and the view I have over New York is really very stimulating. " he explained. "As a matter of fact, someone once said to me and rather coarsely too as I recall; making love overlooking the Hudson River is the ultimate New York experience."

He delighted in watching her squirm. She knew full well each and every insult was being directly aimed at her and she wasn't in a position at the moment to say one solitary thing about it.

"But you never know. " he grinned helping himself to the buffet. "One of these days I might settle down like you Mark and get the opportunity to find that out."

Mark Washington, completely unaware of the sarcasm, wrapped his arm around Adelaide Reynolds and said with all sincerity.

"I sure do hope you do Mr. Tracy. You sure don't know what you're missing being all alone up in that Penthouse."

Her eyes met his.

His eyes met hers.

Four years of decadent lovemaking ... two bodies who knew no boundaries... and a chemistry which still hadn't died between them.

"You know what Mark." he said, smiling to himself and simply turning away. "I do believe I do."

Looking back on things in hindsight, how a man could entangle himself with a married woman and one he detested into the bargain, was beyond his understanding.

When a man and woman married, it had been drummed into him from his early childhood days, that their relationship was something special. It bonded two people for life and their commitment to each other wasn't to be taken lightly. Married love was for two people only and it brought their children into the world. There was no room for a third person no matter what the circumstances were. His Mother had pointed that out to him more than clearly when he wanted his Father to share her.

She said "Daddy wasn't allowed to do that" and at five years of age he had never forgotten her words.

So at twenty nine years of age and with a lot more experience in life behind him why the heck did he ignore them?

Was it loneliness?

Was it lust?

Looking down, his face a mask of shame, he had to admit he honestly didn't know.

He didn't know why he allowed Adelaide Reynolds to seduce her way back into his bed.

He didn't know why he had been so weak.

All he knew was somehow she had managed to do it and what he'd done with her had been wrong.

_**New York – Another Two Months Later**_

The time had come for someone to travel to New York again and for two straight months International Rescue had been completely run off its feet. None of them had been able to leave Tracy Island for weeks and they were all stressed and in need of some decent recreation. But the sojourn in New York meant doing the business dealings and with all that was going on in Tracy Enterprises since the take-over of Washington Industries, no-one wanted to waste their precious leisure time sitting behind a desk.

Virgil got himself out of the way quickly by announcing he was spending his three days leave in Chicago. "Music gig." he murmured when queried on his strange choice of destination.

"Music gig?" his four brothers ribbed. Just who was he intending to make music with in Chicago?

But Virgil was discreet and Virgil said nothing and when he returned, it was time for Gordon to take his turn.

"Three days Dad", he grinned, his eyes sparkling with mischief, "Nowhere near New York."

The grin grew wider. "Sorry Dad."

John was due to lecture in Florence and was on the tarmac ready to seat himself in Tracy One before Gordon had even opened the hatch of the aircraft. John made the most of things when his feet were firmly on Planet Earth and when it came to spending his allocated time away from the island, he could hardly wait to take his leave.

When it was Alan's turn he suddenly announced he didn't want to go anywhere. "Too many things to do around here." he shrugged glancing on more than one occasion in the direction of the beautiful Miss Tin-Tin Kyrano.

That only left him to oblige and with his Father too busy with International Rescue to make the essential trip, he dutifully accepted he wasn't going to get out of it.

But this time he chose to fly himself in his own custom designed aircraft, "Excelsior".

"At least I'll cut the damned flying time in half", he scowled powering into the heavens and setting his course for New York. He was very unimpressed with his brothers not taking their turn in the Office. He appreciated they were tired and needed to let off steam, but none of them, including his Father, appeared to realise that the Field Commander needed the same opportunity. Unlike the others, he was expected to be the anchor man for each and every rescue and whilst he thrived on the adrenalin of being involved in the action, sometimes he felt it would be nice to be the one who wasn't required.

He sighed and scanned the gauges.

He really needed some female company at the moment. Thoughts of her and how she had looked at him that night in the Penthouse had been playing on his mind since he'd returned to Tracy island. Thanks to her, he was really feeling frustrated.

The night would be still early when he got himself to New York so he'd better make it his business to wine, dine and as Virgil so tastefully put things these days, "refine" another woman before he had to grit his teeth and look that woman in the face again. If he didn't, God knows what he would do.

Thoughts of Adelaide Reynolds lying naked in his arms in Nevada filled his mind as Excelsior crossed the North American Coastline.

Why couldn't he forget about her?

It was over wasn't it?

She was married wasn't she?

He frowned and bit his lips in aggravation.

Yes it was over.

Yes she was married.

That wasn't why he couldn't forget about her.

She was the most beautiful woman he had ever set his eyes on.

And he was still hopelessly attracted to her.

It hadn't been until eleven the next morning that he finally made his appearance.

He'd partied hard the night before and had experienced more than a little bit of trouble dragging himself out of bed. New York had been generous to him under cover of the darkness and as a result, he wasn't half as worried as he was in the Aircraft about the possibility of being tempted.

"Good morning Hank." he chirped almost a little too jovially, peering into the Business Manager's Office with a dazzling Tracy smile. "I suppose you were starting to wonder where I was."

Hank Davies motioned him into his Office and invited him to sit down.

"I knew you were around here somewhere." he smirked indicating the newspaper sitting on the corner of his long, mahogany desk. "And might I say ... it didn't take long for the press to find you either."

He leaned forward to scan the page before sighing and resolutely shaking his head.

"Dad's not going to like that."

"Please believe me when I say to you he doesn't."

He glanced at Hank Davies in surprise.

"Dad called?"

Hank nodded.

"He called all right and it took me over ten minutes to get him to simmer down. He mentioned something about you having your wrist communicator off, seeing that photograph and being very unimpressed."

His mind briefly dwelled on the pleasures of the night.

"Err ... yes I did turn it off." he admitted rather uncomfortably. "In hindsight I really shouldn't have done it."

"Well if it's any consolation I can understand your reasons why." Hank Davies laughed indicating the photograph of him sipping champagne with a pretty young woman.

"I don't even know how they managed to get that." he glowered. "That place was supposed to be secure."

If he wouldn't have been so irritated he might have begun to worry. He knew what his Father was going to say when they spoke. He'd say he was supposed to be keeping a low profile. He'd say he'd shielded them from the media as children and he didn't approve of seeing them plastered across the social pages as men. He'd say he was running the risk of someone recognising him. He'd say he thought he had more sense. Then he'd move on to the subject of the wrist communicator. Wrist Communicators were to be left on at all times, day and night even when he was "socialising." There was no exception and there was no excuse. He ought to know International Rescue could be needed at any time and as the Field Commander he expected to be able to contact him.

He rose to his feet and tried not to think about the lecture. He was never irresponsible when it came to International Rescue but last night he'd had to make an exception. It had been too long since he'd had the opportunity to "socialise" and he didn't want to be interrupted.

"Oh boy." he moaned inwardly. "Dad's really gonna want to hear that."

"Oh well Hank." he said with resignation. "I'll call Dad later and explain myself I suppose. In the meantime I'd better get to work."

Hank Davies nodded and warned him in advance there was a mountain of contracts in his Fathers Office to sign. He had appointments at two, three, four and five and he also needed to slot in Kevin Baillie at some point to discuss the upcoming legal cases in California.

He rolled his eyes. No wonder everyone else made plans that took them anywhere in the world but New York. This was no way to spend a couple of days off. He was supposed to be relaxing.

"Just what I need." he groaned, stalking towards the door. "Can you do me a favour and organise some coffee Hank? It sounds like the next three days are going to be the longest three days of my life."

Yes, as it turned out, those three days were more than long and by the end of them he had allowed himself to make a much bigger mistake in his Father's eyes than simply turning off his International Rescue Wrist Communicator.

It was the worst mistake he had ever made.

She'd strutted into his Father's Office with the coffee in her hand almost like she owned Tracy Enterprises. No "good morning Mr. Tracy" as he was used to being greeted and no "excuse me I've been asked to bring you some coffee," either. She clattered across the marble floor in her designer high heels and before he knew what had hit him, started instructing him to move things to one side so she had somewhere to put the cup.

He lifted his head from the contract and gave her a terse but polite acknowledgement of his head.

"Good morning Mrs. Washington." he said dryly. "I'm sorry. I don't believe you knocked."

The body was as sensuous as ever and it took less than twenty seconds for the all too familiar tingling to start. But once she opened her mouth and he heard that selfish, self-centered voice again, the tingling quickly subsided.

"The door was already open Scott. I wasn't aware I had to."

He smiled tightly.

"Well if you're going to work for me Mrs. Washington... you do."

He waited for her to acknowledge his statement.

"Very well." she seethed. "Is there anything **_else _**you need me to remember?"

He gave her a cursory look of indifference.

"Yes there is actually. From now on I'd prefer it if you addressed me as Mr. Tracy when I'm representing my Father in the Office. Scott sounds far too familiar and it's not a good example to the staff. "

"No way …" she exploded "that's ridiculous …"

He ignored her and returned his attention to the contract.

"Leave the coffee wherever there's a space Mrs. Washington." he directed. "And please close the door behind you when you leave."

He silently congratulated himself as she banged the coffee down on the desk and all but stormed out the door. So she thought she could walk in and carry on around him like she had in Las Vegas did she? Well she was mistaken. He wasn't here for her to like. All he had promised to do was give her a job and that was exactly what he had done. She didn't have to stay if she didn't want to and he wasn't about to encourage her.

But her perfume lingered in the air long after she had left him and its intoxicating scent soon brought back the memories.

"No." he told himself firmly, trying to concentrate on the contract. He couldn't allow himself to think about the way it used to be. It wasn't like that any longer.

Their first day had been icy.

Their second day had been worse.

But on the third day ... the whole thing just exploded.

It all happened because of Hank Davies; that was his version of the story anyway.

Hank had approached him privately on the morning of the third day to make a comment it was obvious he had major issues with the employment of Adelaide Washington. He didn't know what the issues were or how they came about but the tension between them was evident, it was very uncomfortable to work with it and he'd prefer it if he was made aware of the problem so he could find a way to deal with it.

He swung around from the window and vehemently denied the accusation.

"I don't have any issues with her Hank. My Father pays her to do a job and since I was the one who made the decision to hire her I'm simply making sure he's getting value for his money."

Hank went on to point out that if he didn't have a problem with the woman, he was certainly overdoing things in the value department. She was the only one in the building who was required to call him Mr. Tracy and the only one he didn't speak to when he came down from the Penthouse in the morning. It was clear he didn't like her and as far as he could see there was no justifiable reason for his dislike.

"I don't need any more accusations of staff inequity Scott." he rumbled eyeing him up and down. "The Company's in enough trouble dealing with all the headaches we inherited in California."

He glared at Hank Davies, knowing full well he was right and again denied there was a problem.

"What do I have to do to prove it to you Hank?" he bristled defensively. "Just tell me and I'll make the effort do it."

The Business Manager flung himself down in the chair opposite him and looked across the desk with exasperation.

"I don't know Scott. You're the one with all the charisma. Take her out to lunch or something. Wine her. Dine her. At least be nice to her … please …for all our sakes."

"Fine, if that's all it takes to get you off my back." he snapped. "Make some reservations for me up town somewhere and let me know what time I need to be there."

"Thank you." Hank sniffed, his tone easing back a little. "That certainly makes me feel better."

"Well I'm glad it does." he frowned, clearly unhappy at the allegation. "I'm telling you for the last time I don't have a problem with the woman."

And trying to prove to Hank Davies he was wrong was how his affair with Adelaide Washington began.

The first half hour of their lunch date had been dreadful and at one point he felt like walking out. He was tense and found it hard to make conversation. She was tense and found it hard to reply.

But a bottle of the Cava they'd taken a fancy to on the night she'd ended things in Las Vegas slowly began to melt the tension. After a while things became quite amiable. He had forgotten how charming she could be when she made an effort and with him on his best behaviour and anxious to be civil, he could be quite charming too.

He kept their discussion "strictly business" and took a great deal of care to only chat about Tracy Enterprises. Eventually, the Company small talk was exhausted and he had little option but to move on to something else. He avoided the subject of her marriage like the plague and wisely kept away from his own situation.

So all that was left was the Penthouse, and he listened politely at how impressed she had been with the size of it and how graphically he had described the two floors she had not be "privileged to see" on the night of the corporate function.

Despite him trying to remain aloof the chemistry between them bubbled.

"Very few people get to see the upper floors of Tracy Enterprises Mrs. Washington ... I'm sorry. I mean ... Adelaide. As you can appreciate, a visit to our private suites is not a matter of privilege. It's a matter of invitation."

The hint of a seductive smile.

"I see. So what does it take for someone like me to get an invitation then?"

Flashing dark blue eyes looked at ruby red lips.

"I suppose it depends on why someone like you would want to be invited."

Ruby red lips parted.

"Reasons."

Another sip of cava.

"And those reasons are?"

Two sets of blue eyes met.

"To see the view you have over the Hudson River."

Eyebrows lifted in surprise.

"You can see the view from your Office window."

A hand caressing the stem of her wine glass.

"Not the view I would like to see."

An acerbic smile as he gently caressed the stem of his own.

"That I am very sure."

The cava went down easily as the fires of attraction burned. The message she was giving him was clear and he didn't even concern himself with guilt. She was beautiful; she was convenient and after what she had said to him on the sidewalk in Las Vegas, she deserved nothing less.

But he worried about Mark Washington. After all he was supposed to be her husband.

"Mark's nothing but an uneducated fool." she scoffed, shrugging her shoulders and downing the first glass of their second bottle. "Can't manage money, can't hold down a job and …"

Her hand moved idly to touch the gentle curve of her breast.

"Wouldn't have a clue what it takes to please a woman."

"You do." she breathed, not taking her eyes off his. "And from the moment I saw you again in that Penthouse I haven't been able to think about anything else."

He swallowed. He wasn't sure if he should tell her he'd thought of nothing else himself.

"Take me up to your suite." she urged, her voice a pillar of urgency. "It'll be the best experience you'll ever have I promise you."

He looked at her in silence, inhaling her perfume and shuddering with the desire only she could make him feel. He was hopeless in the advancing tide of her seduction and the temptation was nearly killing him.

But he was a different man to the naïve young Air Force Captain she had walked away from in Nellis. He wanted her desperately and he wanted her now but no matter what he wanted and how badly he wanted it, he refused to allow her to manipulate him into fulfilling her fantasy in the Penthouse.

Using every ounce of self-control he had, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the one thing she wanted in her life he knew she would do anything for.

His access card to the Penthouse.

He could have given it to her.

He would have given it to her.

But why the hell should he? She could have had it all twelve months ago and she had taken it on herself not only to insult his Mother's memory but to throw it his face she didn't need him to get what she wanted in the world.

He turned the card over and over in his hand and watched as her eyes lit up in anticipation. Yes he wanted her and yes she knew he did. But there something she didn't know and that was if she thought he'd take her up to the Penthouse that afternoon she was very sorely mistaken.

He returned the access card to his jacket.

"Invitations into my private world can no longer be expected lady." he breathed so softly only she was able to hear him. "These days my invitations are earned."

"And …Mrs. Washington, " he said making his meaning blatantly clear. "I'm always open to new ideas on how you intend to earn them."

Scribblings on the calendar ... a tightly locked Office door.

The affair went on for six months and he could rattle off with frightening detail the dates of each and every liaison.

Excelsior made New York easy and he no longer restricted himself to the dreaded two monthly visits. His Father commended him for his diligence. His brothers all laughed and wanted to know who she was.

He made light of the situation with them and tried to convince himself it didn't matter. She didn't love her husband and if it wasn't him she was being unfaithful with, she would have found somebody else. The way he saw it she was doing him a favour. It saved him the inconvenience of the club scene, removed all risk of public exposure and in the eyes of the press he remained the well mannered, eligible bachelor who visited New York and kept very much to himself. This pleased his Father greatly.

But deep down inside he was uneasy and a timely conversation with his Grandmother really cemented his concern.

The conversation just seemed to happen, almost as if it was meant to be.

He had flown in from New York well after lunch had been served and after pausing to have a short conversation with his Father, decided to go into the kitchen to wrangle himself some leftovers. Normally Kyrano was in the kitchen planning the evening meal but as fate so had it, Kyrano hadn't been feeling too well that day and his Grandmother had decided to" take over the task."

"Don't you try to get yourself back in my good books young man." she warned as he hugged her and moved to kiss the top of her head. "I know what you've been up to over there on that mainland and as I said to your Father not twenty minutes ago, I'm not too happy about it either."

"Oh Grandma?" he grinned trying to sound surprised. "What do you think I've been up to?"

If looks could kill he knew he would have been dead.

She proceeded to say she knew he'd be thirty years old next birthday and she knew he was a grown man like his Father. Of course she understood what was missing from his life and of course she understood he would want it. But it didn't change the fact that she didn't approve of how "that side of things" was being handled and recklessly dating women "who were beautiful as all hell but hardly worthy of being any man's wife let alone a Tracy son's," couldn't be good for anyone.

"And that includes your brothers." she added, pulling her glasses down on her nose and giving him a stern look of disapproval. "What you young men are up to on the mainland at the moment simply isn't right."

She grumbled to herself and muttered something about never getting the opportunity to see a Tracy bride or the chance to hold a great-grandchild of her own.

"The only hope I've got in that Department at the moment is the youngest one." she mumbled in discontent. "And even those little carryings on are hardly the Tracy way of doing things. He should wake up to himself and put a ring on that child's finger before something happens. "

"Who Grandma?" he asked trying to pretend he knew nothing about the nightly soirees which had recently begun between his youngest brother and International Rescue's pretty Assistant Engineer.

"Who? Don't you go trying to tell me you don't know who." she frowned. "I've been pushing those two together for years and just when I think I've got the chemistry right they start practicing what I don't want them to be practicing until they make the commitment."

"Now Grandma." he warned, trying not to laugh. "This isn't the stone ages you know."

A slap on the back of his hand told him she didn't appreciate the comment.

"I'll give you the stone ages Mr. Scott Carpenter Tracy. I'll have you know I was raised in the era where free-lovin' was not only accepted but it was a matter of course. That doesn't mean I went ahead and did it. I found myself a decent man the day I met your Grandfather and right from the beginning of history the Tracy men have always been respectable, hard-working individuals. They're raised to respect women and while they're waiting for the right one to come along they don't jump in and out of young lady's beds just to amuse themselves."

She looked out towards the beach where Alan and Tin-Tin giggled and laughed and took every opportunity they could to make physical contact.

"That one never got the opportunity to witness the living example." she sighed. "Maybe that's the trouble. If young Alan had half an inkling of how wonderful the married love was between your Father and your Mother he'd be down on one knee in an instant begging that little girl out there to marry him. "

"Not," she said in disappointment looking away from the open glass doors, "doing what he's doing. "

If he wasn't feeling so guilty himself he probably would have answered her. Like Alan, he too was "doing what he was doing" but unlike Alan who didn't get the chance, he **_had_** seen how wonderful the married love had been between his parents. He knew about the special touch of a hand and the gentle lingering of a kiss. He knew the power of a smile and the importance of a little joke. He guessed that meant he didn't have an excuse for "doing what he was doing" and if his Grandmother had any idea of what he was up to in New York at the moment she wouldn't be very happy.

But if that comment hadn't forced him into thinking, the next one she made really set him on edge.

"Married love is supposed to be special. It's designed to produce only one thing in this world and that thing needs the love and commitment of two parents. Accidents happen and without that commitment, everyone involved gets hurt. You mark my words young man, that day's coming around here and it's not too far away either."

Accidents happen.

He toyed with the thought on his way to New York again, trying to figure out if he had anything to worry about. He was almost certain he didn't. After all they'd been together in Nellis for four years and nothing had ever happened. Strange as it seemed to him now, the issue of children was something they'd always tended to agree on. She hated children, or so she said, and after being forced to change diapers and pacify toddlers since he'd been the tender age of nine, he had no desire for early Fatherhood himself.

It occurred to him however that whilst he knew how they'd felt about the matter in the past, they hadn't had a discussion about it since things between them had "restarted". He had to admit he hadn't thought about it and was assuming she was being as careful as she ever was. If she wasn't, he was about to get himself in a lot of trouble.

When he called her into his Father's Office and lowered himself to ask her, all she did was laugh.

"How stupid do you think I am?" she jeered gathering up the contracts and moving towards the door. "I don't want your brats any more than I want Washington's."

He accepted the undignified comment as a kind of reassurance but in the back of his mind he decided it was time to end it. It wasn't right. It wasn't what a Tracy son did, it wasn't what someone with a husband should be doing and above all it wasn't worth the risk.

He decided this liaison in New York was going to be his last. After six months of stringing her along he'd finally give her what she'd always wanted and allow her to have the desired experience in the Penthouse.

Then he'd tell her he was ending it.

But he was hurriedly called back to International Rescue before he got the chance.

Accidents happen.

Not three weeks after he returned from New York, all hell broke loose on Tracy Island and at the time it was only Alan who knew he had a problem.

A hurried trip to the mainland.

A very tardy return.

A Father's face of thunder.

The allegation of stealing money.

He had to admit he felt anxious for Alan as the story of what had happened unfolded. He and Tin-Tin had somehow had an accident and she was nine weeks pregnant. He'd panicked when she told him and had taken her to the mainland to terminate the pregnancy. He needed to keep the matter quiet and the only way he knew how to do it was rely on what he had been surrounded with ever since he could walk.

Money … and lots of it.

He "borrowed" the money from Tracy Enterprises, hoping he could somehow pay it back without their Father knowing. But if ever there was an unlucky young man when it came to being discovered it had to be Alan Shepard Tracy.

Their Father found out about everything, including Tin-Tin's pregnancy and he was absolutely furious. He'd been in New York himself when it was drawn to his attention and he made no bones about what he was going to say once he composed himself and returned to Tracy island.

Things went from bad to worse when he arrived.

An admission of guilt.

A pregnancy which still continued.

The revelation of a wedding ring.

And the shock and the embarrassment when his Father revealed he had found out something else.

He'd never forget the "talk" he endured in the privacy of his Father's study. He might have been nearly thirty and he might have been a man in his own right, but he was still a Tracy son, his eldest son and of all of the sons he had brought into the world and was proud of, he was the one he expected should know better.

"_Marriage is a special bond between a man and a woman and as far as I'm concerned it's a bond that's for keeps. This woman maybe unhappy with her husband but I don't like the fact that you are placing yourself in the position of ruining her marriage Scott." _

His Father hadn't yelled and his Father hadn't judged him. His Father had done something which punished him far worse. He looked him in the face and expressed his disappointment in him and pointed out that he'd never had tell him he was disappointed before.

He valued his Father's opinion of him almost as much as he valued his life and to hear him say he was disappointed in him crushed him beyond belief. Ever since he'd been a child all he'd ever wanted was to be like his Father and his Father's approval of him was everything.

Morality, truth and decency, Jeff Tracy continued in his low and powerful voice. Hadn't he succeeded in instilling those things in him when he was a child? Did he understand even Alan had shown at least some decency in making the decision to marry Tin-Tin? If he didn't understand, he wanted to know the reason why he didn't. What he was doing with Adelaide Washington in New York was against his upbringing and against everything the Tracy family stood for.

"_Dad I won't see her anymore." he managed to whisper, his lips trembling with distress. "You're right Sir … I am doing the wrong thing and there isn't any excuse … it's just …" _

He wanted to explain himself.

He wanted to say he was lonely.

He wanted to say he wanted a normal relationship.

He wanted to say a lot of things.

But he couldn't bring himself to say anything. His Father had said he was disappointed in him and there was nothing more to say.

Then it had been Alan's turn.

Alan hadn't been quite so lucky when it came to facing the wrath of their Father. He was in there for an hour and a half and when he emerged it was clear he had been read the riot act. Right or wrong, he was now a married man and he had a wife and a child to consider. He had things to make up for to Tin-Tin and money to repay to Tracy Enterprises.

The judgment was handed down.

Not only would he be required to man Thunderbird Five every second month, he was also required to spend one week out of the four he had on the island sitting behind a desk in New York signing Tracy Enterprises contracts. He was do so until the baby was born after which he would assume his role as their baby's Father. There was no argument and no discussion.

The blonde, cocksure Tracy son buckled under the force of Jefferson Tracy's ire. Like him, when it came to commitment and the sense of what was right and wrong he knew their Father was serious.

As things turned out Alan's punishment complicated things further. Whilst it gave him an excuse not to see Adelaide Washington again, it stopped him from finding out something important.

The "little mistake of his own."

The months drew on and even though it was hard and lonely and difficult he forced himself to pick up the pieces of his life again and try to forget about what had happened. Alan didn't help things by coming home with his own opinion of the tall blonde Secretary often mentioning the fact he thought she had a thing for his "tall, mysterious" big brother.

"Anyone would think the two of you had something going on over there." he joked, winking at Virgil and Gordon. "If you didn't, she's crazy stuck on you for some strange reason and whatever it is she's not letting on to me."

Everyone stared when he spluttered on his glass of bourbon and loudly began to choke. He hotly denied everything and did such a bad job of it the whole dinner table applauded and erupted into laughter.

Everyone, except of course, his Father.

Jefferson Tracy sipped his cognac in silent disapproval and failed to utter a word.

Another twist of fate.

Another quirk of conscience.

Alan and Tin-Tin's baby came early and not without the intervention of International Rescue. They'd nearly lost Tin-Tin in the theatre and it looked like Alan was going to have to be stood down for a couple of months to enable him to care for the baby.

This put New York back on the Agenda again and his Father made a point of approaching him to make the trip, presumably to see if he could be trusted.

He accepted the invitation with a steely resolution.

No matter what, he was determined to have the guts to end it. It had been eight months since he'd last seen Adelaide Washington and he assumed there were no sparks left. He hadn't touched a woman in all that time and he had disciplined himself to the point where he very rarely thought about it.

Excelsior once again thundered into the sky – destination New York.

Destination – disaster.

Originally he thought this trip was the best thing to ever happen to him. After landing in Teterboro he happened to cast his eye in the direction of a beautiful Bombardier Pilot preparing to jet out of the terminal. He'd made it his business to introduce himself and within an hour was so captivated not only with her beauty but her amazing knowledge of flight , it looked like New York was going to be home for a few days longer while he "got to know her better".

This one wasn't married, thank God, and by the reception he'd received when he turned on the Tracy charm, she wouldn't be easy prey for him either. Still, he enjoyed the fun of the chase and there was something about her he liked so he was prepared to sit back and play the game.

She'd give in to him... eventually.

Margo Marin.

Seventeen months later she was now the most important thing in his life.

But back on that cold November afternoon he still had two things he needed to do; sign his Father's contracts and end his affair with Adelaide Washington. He made his way by taxi to Manhattan determined the affair ended first.

"Addy you know I don't want to hurt you but we can't see each other any more. There no future in it for either of us and it's never been fair to Mark."

He rehearsed his lines over and over again and by the time he reached Tracy Enterprises all he wanted was to get it over with.

But he had forgotten his Grandmother's words.

Accidents happen.

And he nearly collapsed when he saw her.

She had to have been eight months gone. She was every bit as big as Tin-Tin had been.

All he could do was stare and stand in shell-shocked silence trying to remember dates.

She averted her eyes and made every excuse she could to leave.

He was now in a state of panic. An affair was one thing. A child as a result of it was something else.

"I don't want your brats any more than I want Washington's."

She'd said that.

She'd said that not eight months ago. Now here she was, large as life, about to deliver one.

She was too calculating to have accidents. He knew her too well.

There had to be another Agenda.

His heart raced as his imagination began to get the better of him.

A Tracy child.

His child.

Her access to the Tracy fortune.

The pieces began to fit. She'd never wanted him, she'd made that obvious in Las Vegas, but she'd never denied the fact that she wanted his money.

He stood in his Father's Office overlooking the Hudson River, his emotions in complete disarray. He thought she was trying to earn her way to the Penthouse. He thought **he** was in control of **her**. How could he have been so stupid? He had **never** been the one in control. She had mapped the whole thing out.

He closed his eyes.

Dear God, when his Father found out about this he was going to kill him.

Later that afternoon he called her into the Office and demanded she allow him access to a paternity test.

She refused. The baby was Mark's, she said, and he needn't flatter himself into thinking otherwise.

He almost flung the desk calendar in front of her eyes. The dates, he said, indicated she was carrying a Tracy child. He wanted the paternity test and he wanted it now.

She merely looked in him the face and said a very definite "no".

Thirty years of age; the Field Commander of International Rescue; able to assume control of any situation and make the hard decisions, he sat there for the first time in his life completely hapless, not knowing what to do.

He called in Kevin Baillie and asked for a legal agreement to be drawn up. If she wouldn't agree to allow him access to the paternity test now, he wasn't about to give her the opportunity to ask him for one in the future. If the child wasn't his she could categorically say so and while she was doing it she could state she had no claim over him or Tracy Enterprises too.

But he instructed Kevin Baillie to factor in the loophole. She couldn't ask him but he could ask her.

Kevin Baillie pleaded with him to speak to his Father. This wasn't something trivial anymore. This was something serious. He refused to listen to the Attorney's advice and belligerently demanded he proceed. He didn't want his Father to know anything.

He signed.

She signed.

And nursing a secret no man should ever bear, he returned to Tracy Island and said nothing.

Daniel Mark Washington was born on December 28, nine months and twelve days from the date of their last liaison. According to his Father who'd received the information from Hank Davies, Daniel was a strapping nine pounds at birth with blue eyes, a fine set of lungs and a crop of dark silken hair.

"Must take after the Father." his Father commented before returning to his paperwork. "Mother please see to it some flowers are sent to the girl from the family will you?"

He looked back up to where Josephine Tracy sat. "With an appropriate message if you don't mind."

Then he looked over at him. "I assume you would like to be included?"

He reddened, nodded his head, and said he needed to get some air. He left the lounge room of the Tracy villa with his Grandmother frowning and asking his Father if she'd just missed something in the translation. As he wandered alone on the shores on Tracy Island, he wondered if his Father had put two and two together and somehow come up with three. If he had he wasn't saying anything and if he hadn't it was obvious he was still disappointed he'd put himself in the position in the first place.

Having a newborn baby on the island made it even harder to forget about Daniel. He watched Alan bumbling his way through Fatherhood almost with a kind of jealousy. Lucy Josephine was a cute little thing and when he held her in his arms and felt the warmth of her tiny body against his, she seemed to fill some kind of void which until now he hadn't realised was missing from his life.

The months wore on and his personal unhappiness deepened. He'd long since forgotten about Adelaide but he wondered all the time about Daniel. He wanted to know if he was Daniel's Father. He wanted to know even if that was all he would ever be allowed to know. His relationship with Margo Marin was becoming serious and he would soon have to tell her the truth about his past.

Unfortunately he had to consider Daniel as part of his past and he was withholding enough of the truth from her with his secret life in International Rescue without hiding that too.

But the legal agreement existed and his Father still didn't know. He resigned himself to never finding out the truth about Daniel and tried his best to move on.

A first wedding anniversary came.

Kevin Baillie and Hank Davies unexpectedly arrived at the Island.

Panic reared up in a Tracy son's eyes.

He thought they were here about Daniel, and when they closeted themselves with his Father he thought his life was over. If they told him about the agreement he'd do more than simply express his disappointment this time. He'd do much much more.

As it turned out, the two of them had come for a different and much happier reason. Alan had been planning to make amends to Tin-Tin by organizing a top secret "perfect wedding" and he found out Hank Davies was a marriage celebrant who Alan had invited to officiate and Kevin Baillie had come along to carry out the legalities.

It all came as news to his Father and he breathed a sigh of relief as the truth about their visit was revealed. His secret was still safe and nobody knew on Tracy Island.

But the close call told him he needed to share the burden with someone and he decided to confide in Virgil who he trusted with his life. Virgil listened to him attentively and tried not to show he was shocked.

"You have to tell Dad what's happened Scott." he urged in his calm and sensible voice. "Please… I really think he needs to know."

He refused to allow Virgil to convince him.

"Dad only needs to know what Dad needs to know." he emphasised. "And he doesn't need to know about this."

The final straw came when another "little accident" occurred on Tracy Island. Nine months and thirteen days to the date of the "perfect wedding," baby Alan Jefferson Tracy was born into the world, a little brother for Lucy Josephine and the first Tracy Grandson.

At least that's what everybody thought.

His Father had been ecstatic and he couldn't remember a time in his life when he had ever seen him so happy. He held the tiny baby in his arms, touched his cheek and reminisced about the first time he had held a son of his own.

"This is exactly the same feeling." he said, smiling at Alan and Tin-Tin, "And you know what? I think holding my first Grandson actually feels even better."

That was the catalyst for him to crack. Virgil looked across the room at him, his brown eyes appealing to him to tell their Father about Daniel. He squared his jaw unhappily and made it his business to turn away. He couldn't admit to things now. It had been over fourteen months.

A tiny swaddled bundle; a spattering of dark brown hair; two sleepy little blue eyes and a cute button mouth.

His resolve completely broke when he held baby "AJ" in his arms. It was then he wanted to hold his own son in his arms and if it took him to admit to his Father what he'd done in New York and ask him for his help, he was now prepared to do it.

Baby "AJ" was handed to Uncle Virgil who sensed the drama of what lay ahead.

"Do you want me to come with you Scott?" he asked him quietly, his voice a mirror of genuine love and concern.

He shook his head.

"No thanks. I appreciate the offer but this is a matter best left between me and our Father."

The discussion took place over a cup of coffee in the corner of the hospital cafeteria. He'd fidgeted with his coffee cup and swallowed a couple of times before his Father asked him to look him in the face and tell him what the matter was.

"I … I don't know how to begin Sir." he stammered nervously. "I know you're not going to like what I'm about to tell you."

His Father's dark blue eyes grew wary.

"Well son …" he paused. "If that's the case I guess you'd better start from the beginning."

I guess you'd better start from the beginning …

For over an hour he told his Father the truth about his relationship with Adelaide Washington. The story of how things were in Nevada. The story of how she'd ended it. The story of what she'd said about his Mother's engagement ring.

"You **_employed_** her after she said that?" he gasped in disbelief. "Scott ... that ring belonged to your Momma."

"Dad … honest I didn't know it was her Sir." he replied wretchedly. "All I was told was she was Washington's daughter-in-law. When I found out I wasn't in a position to say no. I'd already given James Washington my word as a Gentleman that Tracy Enterprises would give her a job."

"A Gentleman?" his Father growled. "I fail to see how you could class any of your recent dealings as being the actions of a Gentleman."

Tears which weren't allowed to fall began to well in his eyes.

"No Sir." he heaved desolately. "I know."

His Father ordered more coffee and sat in silence waiting for it to arrive. Only when it did was he asked to continue.

"Dad I don't think you need me to continue." he murmured, "You already know what happened between the two of us after that."

His Father raised his cup to his lips and sighed with sadness.

"Yes son unfortunately I suppose I do."

There was an awkward and painful silence.

"Dad … you have to believe me. I never touched her again after we spoke. I didn't even see her again until the day you sent me back to New York."

He paused and lifted his eyes preparing to break the news.

"But you see Sir … even though I didn't …things had already gone too far."

Their eyes met.

He didn't have to say anything.

His Father colored and looked away angrily.

"You're about to tell me the boy's yours aren't you?"

"Yes Sir I have very good reason to believe that he is."

"Oh Scott. " his Father groaned. "Why the hell didn't you tell me before now?"

"I couldn't Sir."

He paused.

"Dad … I wanted to find out the truth fourteen months ago but she wouldn't give me access to a paternity test."

His Father's eyes widened.

"A paternity test?" he gasped. "You actually stood there and asked a woman carrying a child to undertake a paternity test?"

He tried to swallow but a lump the size of a baseball had suddenly formed in his throat.

"Yes Sir I did."

"Dad …I had to."

His Father pressed his lips together and looked towards the ceiling.

"Dear God Scott please tell me there's nothing else." he whispered, his eyes pleading to the heavens.

He faltered at his Father's obvious distress.

"I'm sorry Sir," he finally had the courage to admit. "But there is."

It was then the existence of the agreement was revealed, and the loophole it contained. She could never demand a paternity test from him in the future but there was nothing to say he couldn't demand one of Daniel. He wanted to invoke the agreement as soon as possible and demand the test be taken. He was asking him for his support.

He didn't even want to think about what his Father said to him after that. **_His support?_** How dare he compromise Tracy Enterprises like he had and then have the gall to sit there and ask him for his support. Tracy Enterprises was his life. It had fed and clothed them as children and it had funded their expensive College educations. It allowed all five of them to do whatever the hell they wanted to do. Not only that, it completely funded International Rescue. How dare he put something he knew was so important to him on the line. He didn't understand any more. He just didn't understand.

Angry and disillusioned, his Father demanded to see the agreement and without taking a breath demanded to speak to Kevin Baillie. He couldn't believe his Senior Attorney, who he trusted completely, had allowed all this to happen without so much as a cursory word to him.

Kevin Baillie flew to San Diego immediately and he cringed his Father paced around his Hotel Room and angrily said his piece. An apologetic Kevin Baillie urged him to calm down and assured him the agreement was water tight. He assured him Adelaide Washington had no claim over Tracy Enterprises now or in the future. He assured him he had nothing to worry about.

"Jeff trust me. I was extremely thorough with this because I knew you weren't being involved."

"And I should have been." his Father growled in a tone he had never used with anyone before. "I built this Company from nothing and I would advise you well to remember it."

There was silence in the room as his Father walked over to the window and overlooked San Diego trying to calm himself down. Eventually he regained his composure.

"All right; if you say there's no threat to the Company Baillie, I'll take you at your word. The matter hereby ends in these four walls and I don't wish for it to be spoken about again."

He glared across the room at him and added.

"Legally anyway."

But he had gone too far with this now to accept his Father's word.

"No Dad." he interjected. "This matter hasn't ended yet. I still want to know if Daniel's mine."

His Father rounded on him right in front of Kevin Baillie.

"What the heck does it matter anymore Scott? For fourteen months you've lived with nothing but lies and illusion. A paternity test tells you nothing and it puts Tracy Enterprises at risk."

"It tells **_me _**Dad." he stressed.

"All right Scott it tells **_you_**. But even if it does tell you it makes no Goddamn difference to anything."

He held up the contract and waved it under his nose.

"You've already signed this to say he isn't your son. Don't you understand?"

He threw the contract down on the table.

"Tell him Kevin." he demanded. "Or tell me I've lost my touch on contract matters since I moved the hell out of New York"

The tension in the room was at boiling point as Kevin Baillie quietly folded the contract and returned it to the pocket of his portfolio.

"Scott …" the Attorney said carefully. "I'm afraid your Father is right. I did warn you at the time even if paternity could be proven in the future, the child will always legally remain a child of Mark and Adelaide Washington."

"I know that." he snarled back. "I've never pretended not to know that. All I want to do is find out if he was mine in the first place."

His Father really lost his temper then.

"Why Scott?" he exploded. "Why do you want to know? Why not just forget about it?"

For the first time in his life he found himself thundering at his Father. He was tired of feeling guilty and tired of feeling ashamed. There was no risk to Tracy Enterprises and that had been made pointedly clear. All he wanted was closure so he had the confidence to move on to another phase in his life and he was damned if his Father was going to refuse him that too.

He rose to his feet and looked him squarely in the eye.

"Because ... Dad ... if you were me and you thought there was a possibility that Daniel Washington might be your only son, I know you wouldn't close your eyes and sleep at night until at least the hell you knew."

And thus began the legal case and once again the Washington Attorneys faced the Tracy Attorneys in the boardroom of the Tracy Towers.

Surely this was an amiable thing which could be handled out of court, Kevin Baillie urged from the head of the Company table. His Client only wanted access to a paternity test and his Client's Father was prepared to pay for everything, including the inconvenience. There was no need for suspicion or concern. His client had no future claim to the child and that was clearly outlined in the agreement.

"Unless of course your agreement has any other little "loopholes" you didn't make known to our clients at the time." argued the Washington Attorneys.

"I assure you that's not the case." Kevin Baillie swallowed, uneasy at the inference. "All the cards are on the table at the moment and there are no hidden agendas."

The Washington Attorneys rose to their feet and gathered up their papers. All the cards should have been on the table when his "Client" bullied a "poor defenceless young woman" into signing a loaded legal agreement almost sixteen months before.

"No deal." was the reply.

If his Client wanted to take things further all their talking would now be done in court.

The rest of course was history.

The court had ruled against Tracy Enterprises and he had no-one to blame but himself. He was the one who had asked for the loophole. He was the one who had been dishonest. He was one who was left to pay the price.

He would never know if he had fathered baby Daniel.

Since then his own Father had told him every day it was time to move on and forget about him.

"Time to move on." he scoffed bitterly as he heard the signal telling him it was time to don the familiar blue uniform and assume the role of Field Commander. "Yeah I can do that for you Dad no sweat. Just like everything else."

He dragged his exhausted body towards the door. No matter how bad he felt, International Rescue needed him and he knew he had a job to do.

His wrist Communicator began to flash as he made his way to the lounge room and the adrenalin began to surge.

"Scott." the authoritative voice sounded. "I need you to come down as quickly as you can please. It appears we've got a call."

_Author's Note – Those who haven't read "Commitment" may need to catch up on the finer detail of Alan and Tin-Tin's little "accidents" the legal agreement with Adelaide Washington and how it all came to pass. Acknowledgement once again to "Lady Viva" who has again graciously allowed me the use of her character "Margo Marin" and her exotic jet "Excelsior." _

_The next Chapter begins the story proper and how a child should never be taken for granted or ever regarded as a Possession. MCJ_

**CHAPTER THREE – "THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH A MAN CAN TAKE"**


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Note – A Tracy son in turmoil. A Father who has to make a choice. It's time to get back on track and get on with the telling of this story. I'm sorry this Chapter is somewhat brief. I'm afraid my recent travels have been a very big diversion…. mcj

* * *

_

**CHAPTER THREE**

**THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH A MAN CAN TAKE

* * *

**

There was only so much a man could take without a second cup of coffee and he didn't give a damn if it was only seven o'clock in the morning.

He guessed the lack of sleep had something to do with it and he probably should have gone to bed last night instead of gluing himself to the television. But he had become way too engrossed in the newscasts concerning a dangerous series of landslides and his involvement was starting to become personal. As far as he was concerned there had been too much inaction from the Emergency Services from the outset and it didn't surprise him at all that the call had now been received from Thunderbird Five.

"The Emergency authorities require our immediate assistance Father," the tired but efficient voice informed him from the screen. "Things sound pretty bad."

Alan glanced from left to right, flicked a couple of switches in the satellite and tried not to look like he was agitated.

"From what I've managed to determine so far, a couple of houses are gone already and there's nine people missing under the rubble."

His eyes mirrored his own Fatherly concern.

"One's only a baby Dad and the Mother's hysterical."

Jeff Tracy gave his youngest son the required nod of assurance. Even at age twenty-three and almost two years of marriage under his belt, Alan never seemed comfortable in a crisis.

"All right Alan. Thanks a lot for the update. Continue to monitor the situation and Scott will contact you from the air."

The worried young features relaxed when he heard his brothers would soon be on their way to Mexico. He'd been listening to the panic on the mountainside all night and the situation wasn't getting any better. All road access to the slope had been lost and with no suitable equipment available to clear a path; the rescue efforts had ground to a standstill.

"OK Sir. I'll keep all lines of communication open."

The familiar biting of his son's bottom lip soon told Jeff Tracy the call wasn't about to end there. He had always been able to read Alan like a book and it was obvious when he had something bothering him.

"Dad…" he faltered, trying to find the words.

"Son please …" came the gruff but understanding response. "As Grandma said to you last night, they're only restless at the moment because the two of them are cutting teeth."

Then he gave him a knowing smile.

" …and before you start asking me again how Tin-Tin's coping, she's doing fine too all right? Grandma's keeping an eye on her for you and just for the record so are the rest of us."

The tall, blonde figure in the International Rescue uniform coloured a little.

"I know you are Dad. It's not that..."

He paused feeling a little foolish.

"It's just that … well … Grandma also told me something else last night and I have to say it bothers me."

"Oh?" Jeff Tracy frowned, wondering what his Mother had gone and stuck her nose into this time. "And what's that then?"

Alan bit his lips together again but he felt strongly about what he had been told by his Grandmother and he'd been worrying himself sick about it all night.

"Father … Tin-Tin isn't getting any sleep at the moment and you know what I think about her overdoing things."

"She won't ask anyone for help Dad. She's too independent." he ended quietly.

The blue eyes clouded and looked away with awkwardness, unable to say what he really wanted to say. He wanted to come home and be a proper Father to his babies. He wanted to come home for Tin-Tin. A month away was acceptable before they had the children but a month away now was too far long.

Jeff Tracy had been a Father himself too long not to pick up the signs.

"I know how much you miss them son." he sympathised. "But International Rescue has a very important job to do and without someone monitoring things in Thunderbird Five we wouldn't be able to do it."

_A very important job_.

He held that thought in his head as he sat on the corner of his desk, arms folded, waiting for his Field Commander. A display of tardiness wasn't what he particularly needed to deal with right now, especially from the son he needed the most.

He glanced at the clock as the minutes ticked slowly by.

Scott was always the first to respond to the emergency indicator. He would stride into the lounge within minutes of being called, demanding to know everything and anxious to get himself airborne. It was the trademark of his commitment to getting the job done fast and it instilled a certain confidence and urgency into his brothers. This morning it was completely the opposite. He was the first one summoned when Alan contacted him from the satellite, and he was the only one who hadn't responded to the call.

Jeff Tracy sighed inwardly and continued to wait. He thought being thrown into a rescue situation might be the catalyst Scott needed to forget about Daniel for a while. He loved the rush of an emergency and thrived on counting down the clock. But the noticeably empty space where Scott always stood to receive his orders was slowly but surely starting to tell him it would take a heck of a lot more than a rescue to make him forget.

He turned to look at his other sons who had all assembled in response to the call. Virgil was fully alert and ready to fly out. Cleanly shaven and dressed, he sat on the couch with his usual calmness, waiting to be instructed. Gordon sat next to him still half asleep, red hair standing on end, completely oblivious to everything. John stood behind the couch in his pyjamas wanting to know if he was needed.

At the sight of his Father's frown Virgil's face immediately lined with worry. He knew every second counted for those people on the mountainside and he knew his Father knew they counted too.

"He won't be much longer Dad." he faltered, his brown eyes darting nervously towards the door. "He was getting dressed when I was coming down."

John's eyes followed Virgil's .

"I heard him too Dad." he added in support.

"Mmmm." was the unhappy growl before the focus centred on what seemed to be an unacceptable lack of activity in the kitchen.

"For goodness sake Kyrano." he grumbled loudly. "What's stopping that coffee coming?"

Virgil swallowed and looked over his shoulder at John who in turn locked eyes with Gordon. Their Father rarely complained about anything, least of all Kyrano's impeccable service. He was never this edgy about a rescue situation, but with Scott continuing to be conspicuous by his absence with each passing moment, all three of them had a pretty good idea they knew the reason why.

Fortunately Kyrano entered the Lounge room not ten seconds later with a pot of fresh coffee, six cups and a plate crammed full of warm buttered toast.

"I am sorry for the delay Mr Tracy." he apologised setting the tray down on the desk and motioning them towards it. "I trust what I have prepared will be satisfactory Sir."

The inviting smell wafted through the lounge and it didn't take Gordon long to take on a whole new lease of life. Unable to resist food of any kind, his sleepy eyes opened wide and within moments he was on his feet and helping himself to the toast.

"What?" he frowned as both Virgil and John rolled their eyes. "If I'm going out on a mountainside for goodness knows how long I'm not going to be the one who starves to death."

The rolling of the eyes intensified.

"You? Starve to death? That'll be the day." John exclaimed dryly. "Try to find time to eat up in Thunderbird Five during one of these calls Gordon. Now that's starving to death!"

Gordon smirked, picked up the plate and thrust it in John's direction.

"OK then hero. Make the most of things while you're not up in Thunderbird Five. Besides by the sound of these landslides you'll need every little bit of your strength. We'll all have to go out there today if we're going to pull this one off."

Jeff Tracy ignored both the conversation and the food, preferring to reach over and pour himself a cup of coffee.

"Thanks Kyrano." he mumbled, his mind totally preoccupied with the landslides. Thanks a lot."

The elderly Malaysian retainer inclined his head graciously.

"Always a pleasure Mr. Tracy. Please forgive my further intrusion Sir but will this situation in Mexico require the services of my daughter?"

He nodded grimly. "Yes Kyrano, I'm afraid by the looks of things it will."

But before he went any further, a firm and insistent voice echoed from the other side of the lounge room.

"Now Jeff surely you can attend to those people without involving young Tin-Tin. The poor child's been up half the night with her babies."

As usual the face of Josephine Tracy said everything as she looked from Kyrano to her son and back to Kyrano again.

She took a sip of her orange juice before she continued.

"I don't know about you men and your priorities sometimes. You seem to forget Tin-Tin's coping with two little ones under two …," she bristled, keen to make her point. "…not to mention the fact that the youngest one is still relying on her for his nourishment."

Jeff Tracy looked repentantly at Kyrano but made it clear he had no intention of backing down.

"Mother I appreciate the difficulty." he agreed stiffly, "But with Brains away on the mainland at the moment, it simply can't be helped. Please go upstairs and wake her for me."

Josephine Tracy frowned and grumbled all the way to the door.

"You may not be able to help it son but that doesn't mean it's right. You're not the only one around here who needs her. It's a known fact that a Mother doesn't feed her baby properly if she has to constantly worry if X plus Y equals Z."

"I'll do my best to remember that Mother." he promised, this time with more than a little tightness in his voice. "Now would you mind hurrying along a little faster please? I'd like to include her in the brief."

Kyrano also moved in the direction of the door.

"I will ensure the needs of the little ones are met Mr Tracy."

"Father they don't have any needs at the moment. Both of them are still asleep."

The husky voice was weary and the usually happy demeanour was lacking as Tin-Tin, still clad in her bathrobe, brushed past both Kyrano and Josephine Tracy and went to sit beside Gordon on the couch.

She yawned and turned her tired eyes towards the desk.

"Thank you for not sounding the emergency signal in our apartment this morning Mr Tracy." she said gratefully. "The sound of it would have woken both of them again for sure."

Jeff Tracy tense expression melted. It always did where Tin-Tin was concerned. The beautiful young woman who had stolen the heart of his youngest son had, and always would have, a very special place in his heart. He had heard her trying to settle the babies while he was busy watching the newscast and he knew from his own miserable experience as a widower, settling two babies less than thirteen months apart wasn't an easy task.

The newscast.

Almost instantly, his tender expression changed.

Thinking about the newscast only reminded him of why they were assembled and with that thought uppermost in his mind; his impatience returned. His fingers began to tap. It had been well over ten minutes since he had called Scott on his wrist communicator and ten minutes later, there was still no sign of him to be had.

"For the life of me I don't know what's keeping your …" he snapped, only to be silenced as Scott finally made his way through the door and hurriedly strode towards the desk.

Scott looked terrible.

"I'm sorry I'm so late Dad." he apologised, trying to disguise his exhaustion. "I didn't sleep too well last night Sir."

His Father eyed him up and down as his impatience now turned to displeasure.

"You look dreadful Scott." he thundered making no secret of his disapproval. "It's obvious to me you haven't had any kind of sleep at all."

His brow furrowed.

_**"Again." **_

Scott reddened. There was no mistaking that tone. Jeff Tracy was the old school when it came to adequate rest before flight and part of their undertaking to him in joining International Rescue had been that they took the necessary steps to make sure they were ready to fly at any time … early nights if they needed them … adequate recreation …fit bodies …limited alcohol.

Standing up as straight as his physically tortured body would allow, he lifted his chin in denial.

"I'm feeling OK Sir." he insisted. "I'm just a little tired that's all."

It didn't take long to receive a very terse reply.

"No son. A man who takes over ten minutes to respond to an emergency call around here is not considered to be OK and it doesn't take me to be any sort of genius to figure that out."

Scott scowled silently at the admonishment and continued on as if nothing had been said. There were more important things to think about right now than how much sleep Scott Tracy had managed to get and he was surprised his Father wasn't thinking the same.

"Father enough time's been wasted already. Please just give me the run-down." he demanded and reached over to pour himself only enough coffee to swallow during the brief. "Where are we required and how bad is it?"

But Jeff Tracy was not so easily dissuaded. His discerning eyes never left the face of his eldest son watching with consternation the robotic way he downed the coffee to prepare himself for flight. The blackened circles under his eyes were the worst he'd ever seen them and the unmistakeable drooping of his eyelids concerned him beyond belief. Even though he was vital to International Rescue's operations, it was clear Scott wasn't in any sort of condition to fly Thunderbird One let alone take control of a major rescue operation if or when he got there.

Decision made, he proceeded to look Scott squarely in the eye.

"You're right son." he agreed in a firm and authoritative voice. "Enough time has been wasted. That mountainside could give away at any moment and Alan's already said there are nine people under the rubble."

Without flinching he turned towards the couch.

"John …"

John startled and looked up from his coffee with surprise.

"Yes Dad?"

"John I want you to launch Thunderbird One."

John locked eyes with Scott in immediate disbelief. Virgil and Gordon sat open-mouthed on the couch. He may not be exactly acting like himself at the moment, but nobody flew Thunderbird One faster and better in an emergency than Scott. This was one heck of an emergency. What was their Father thinking?

It was John who queried the order first.

"Pardon me ummm … Dad did I just hear you right?" he faltered, confusion written all over his face.

Jeff Tracy soon made it very clear there was nothing whatsoever wrong with his hearing.

"I said get moving John." was the direct re-iteration. "Alan will contact you with the details."

John hesitated, still not quite believing what he had heard. Flying Thunderbird One didn't bother him, in fact if the truth was known, he really rather enjoyed it; but like Alan, he knew he was only ever allowed to take control of "Scott's baby" when Scott wasn't in a position to do it himself. At the moment Scott stood less than five feet away from him and he wasn't looking very happy.

_"He'll flip if I do that Dad " _rang the warning bells in his head.

Scott certainly didn't let him down. Before John had time to take one step in the direction of Thunderbird One, the expected reaction came.

"You're standing me **_down_** Father?"

John Tracy froze.

Scott Tracy's voice held more than disbelief. Scott's voice held challenge too.

"Scott …not now. We'll talk about it later." was the rumble.

John's eyes flickered nervously in the direction of Scott's imposing figure and then towards the equally imposing figure of their Father.

"Dad…Sir..." he stammered. "If Scott's feeling up to taking her I won't mind if he goes."

If the third Tracy son didn't know how it felt to be invisible, he certainly knew how it felt to be invisible now. Both his Father and his brother ignored everything and everyone as they stood face-to-face in front of the desk heading towards a direct altercation.

"What do you mean not now Father?" Scott glowered. "There are nine people out there who need our help. **_NINE_**. Give me one good reason why you don't need me out there for you to give it to them."

"Scott …" Jeff Tracy rumbled again. "I have already said not now."

But like Father, like son Scott was not so easily dissuaded either.

"Dad **_I'm _**your Field Commander." he stated forcefully and squared his jaw expecting for the fact to be acknowledged. When the acknowledgement didn't come, his defences quickly escalated.

"I have already said I was OK to flyDad."

Still no acknowledgement came.

"Í **_am_** Dad." he insisted.

Jeff Tracy fought to keep himself in check as his eldest son continued to argue, refusing to face the reality of his dreadful physical condition. The reply came and when it did, it was through rigid and fiercely disciplined lips.

"Son for the last time you are not OK to fly anywhere and I have no doubt in my head that you know it. You can call this a stand-down if you wish but I'm not prepared to risk lives by sending you into a danger zone when you're not in a fit enough state to be there."

Scott's voice began to rise with his temper.

"Dad; that's a heap of crock. There are lives at risk already and you _need_ me on that mountainside."

Jeff Tracy's voice began to rise too.

"Don't tell me who or what I need Scott. The lives I'm talking about here are the lives of your brothers. Lives which happen to be important to both of us. What I need is a Field Commander who's fit to oversee a very dangerous situation in Mexico, and I think it's fair to say at the moment that someone isn't you."

Scott's voice lowered dangerously.

"No Father that's where you're wrong. I **_am_** fit to be there and I am **_not_** standing down. Send John with Virgil."

Jeff Tracy's voice lowered too.

"Scott I'm obviously not making myself clear to you. What part of "you are not required this time" are you having trouble understanding? "

Fuming, Scott swung around on his heel and began to move towards the hangar of Thunderbird One.

"I have trouble with all of it Father. My place is in Thunderbird One and that's where the hell I'm gonna be."

Jeff Tracy strode across the room behind him, determined not to let him go.

"Your place is anywhere I order you to be." he growled grasping his shoulder forcefully.

His chest rose and fell as time stood still in the Tracy villa.

"And I swear while there's still one iota of breath in my body Scott, you are not going anywhere in that Thunderbird."

Scott slowly turned around to face him, his face a pillar of stone.

Two sets of powerful blue eyes burned.

"I mean what I'm saying to you son." he thundered. "John will handle things this time. Take my advice and go on up to your bed."

He knew he should have taken the option. Deep down inside he knew his Father was right. But angry at himself, angry at her and angry at what he'd lost three days ago in the middle of that courtroom, he wasn't about to lose anything else without a fight of some sort. Not his place as Field Commander. Not to one of his brothers.

"No Dad..." he choked, his voice grating with emotionless ire," Three years ago I gave up everything because you said you needed me to make International Rescue work for you. **_Me _**Dad not John."

He turned his face away and once again began to move towards the hangar.

"So how about you just let me get the hell on with doing it for you Sir."

Jeff Tracy was powerless to control his worry and frustration at the situation any longer. The cold, hard military words sounded before he could make any reasonable attempt to stop them.

"Maybe if you started acting rationally for a change I might be able to believe you're still capable of doing it."

Scott's face fell. Those words hit him between the eyes like the blade of a blunted axe. His Father never spoke to him in front of his brothers with anything but the utmost confidence and respect. He was completely stunned.

The silence in the room was absolute.

Even Jeff Tracy, furious as he was, stood unhappily, disappointed he'd let his emotions get the better of him.

"John" he finally said, more in distress than anger. "Get going son. People are in trouble on that mountainside and they're expecting to receive our help."

Without another word John nodded and exited towards Thunderbird One.

Then he turned to Tin-Tin, still trying to regain his composure. Tin-Tin looked up at him with anxious tear-filled eyes.

"I'm sorry. " he apologised. "Please ... these land-slides have covered the most of the infrastructure. Those people are buried somewhere underneath and they don't have very long. I need to you to figure out where we're going to have to dig to find them… and how deep. Can you get to work on that for me?"

"All right Mr. Tracy." Tin-Tin murmured not knowing where to look. "I'll contact Alan and see if he can get me some accurate information on the gradients."

"Yes by all means do that." he said, indicating she had unrestricted use of his desk.

Finally he looked towards Virgil and Gordon.

"Boys there are only the three of you so you need to work fast. Take as much excavation equipment as you can carry and make sure you have all the ultrasonic heat detectors. John can brief you on what's required once he's over there and Tin-Tin's done all the calculations."

Virgil and Gordon rose to their feet and only Virgil had the courage to lift his eyes to Scott's. Scott looked at him without expression. Virgil bit his lip and looked away. He wished he could say something useful, but with emotions running at an all time boiling point at the moment, common sense told him to remain silent.

Why, he worried, as he made the all too familiar descent into Thunderbird Two. Why are you doing this to yourself Scott? Why are you shutting everything and everybody out? Why are you so totally hell bent on punishing yourself for something you know you can't change?

"I'll tell you why …" he vocalised loudly as he seated himself at the console in the huge Thunderbird craft. "…because shouldering the burden and blaming yourself for everything that goes wrong around here is the only way you know how to live your life big brother and for once I'm glad Dad's making the effort to stop you."

"Amen, alleluia and let's hear it from brother number two." was the cheeky and unexpected response from behind him. Virgil turned to see Gordon grinning in the rear of the cabin as he casually pulled on his uniform.

"Pity you couldn't bring yourself to say it a little earlier though." he smirked.

"You didn't hear me say anything Gordon." Virgil warned, guarded as always when it came to matters involving Scott. "You hear me? Any of it."

"Oh chill out Virg who the heck am I gonna tell?" Gordon replied, allowing his mischievous eyes to grow wider. "But as a word of warning from one who knows, you'd better not let Scott "not" hear you either … not if you still want to be standing up straight when you finish."

Virgil looked his red haired brother up and down.

"Scott probably needs to hear more things like that Gordon." he said with all seriousness. "That's been the trouble with him since this whole Adelaide Washington thing began. He put Tracy Enterprises on the line when made the mistake with the legal agreement and he can't seem come to grips with the cold hard fact that he did. Now he's acting like he has to prove to Dad he's some sort of superman or something."

He made the selection of the pod required for the rescue with a sore and heavy heart.

"Gordie, Scott isn't superman." he added almost with a kind of sadness. "He's just a man; the same as you and me. I know I shouldn't say this and I'll deny it if you tell anyone I did, but this time Dad's right. Scott's a mess right now and he shouldn't be up there giving orders until he pulls himself together."

He began his pre-flight check and mumbled to himself unhappily. "For his own sake as well as our own."

"I dunno." Gordon shrugged dubiously. "Messed up or not Scott's makes a pretty good call in a crisis."

Gordon's innocent remark really made Virgil burn. That was the whole problem and he wished someone else besides him could see it. Scott felt he had to be perfect all the time. He knew they all expected him to be there for them when they needed him ... so he was. He knew they all expected him to make the right call in a crisis ... so he did. He knew they all relied on him to lead them...

Virgil frowned.

And they shouldn't.

They weren't little motherless boys any longer. They were men.

All of them.

"Gordon, your never-ending adulation of our big brother is admirable as always," he replied in a voice laced with sarcasm. "But I'm sure human as he is, Johnny is more than capable of handling things too."

Gordon's smile faded. Virgil always knew how to let him know when he had taken things too far.

"Virg I wasn't saying John isn't capable." he began in earnest. "I'm just saying …"

"Look Gordon how about you don't say anything at all right now huh? " Virgil snapped as the mighty engines began to roar. "I've got enough on my mind already."

The cabin fell silent as Virgil prepared himself for take-off and tried to not to think about what his Father would be saying to Scott right now.

He shuddered.

Somehow he got the feeling it was probably better not to think about it.

He sighed and began to taxi forward.

Whatever was being said he hoped this time it would be enough to make Scott turn the page in his life that once was Adelaide Washington. Watching him punish himself for his past like this was truly breaking his heart.

The eyes that burrowed into his were angry and had burrowed into him too many times over the years not to know what was coming. As he sat there waiting for the inevitable, to his mind came the night he'd come home three hours late from the library… the night he'd produced a fake ID to get himself into a nightclub… and the night he came home drunk from a friend's house and had fallen asleep on the porch.

His Father's eyes had made his feelings known then and they were certainly making his feelings known now. But as the sun rose over Tracy Island and the Thunderbird craft disappeared in the direction of Mexico, those eyes had never held so much fire, so much fury and despite everything he had said only a few moments ago, so much genuine worry and concern.

They were the same height. They had the same features. They had the same drive and visions of greatness. They had same relentless outlook in life.

But that was where their similarity ended.

There was one important difference; he began in his matter-of-fact Tracy manner.

He was the Father in this family and in the Tracy family a Father deserved nothing less than his son's respect.

The livid dark blue eyes continued to burn through him like a furnace.

He was also in charge of things around here and he wanted to make it pointedly clear that until such time as he was officially handed the reins of International Rescue at some obscure time in the future, not only was he expected to set the example for his brothers; he was also expected to obey his orders.

This whole issue of who did and who didn't act as Field Commander when required had been completely blown out of proportion and he needed to get things very straight in his head about the way things

were.

Point number one.

He didn't care a damn who had been appointed as the Field Commander when International Rescue began. Back then he'd been given the job because he had his head together and after the scene he'd just created in front of his brothers and worse still in front of young Tin-Tin, he was sure he didn't reminding of the fact that he didn't have his head together now.

Point number two.

Raised voices had never been required to get a point across in this house and no matter how tough things had been over the years in bringing them up without their mother; his voice had never been raised unless it was a last resort.

"You know that Scott." he boomed. "I only need one hand to count the number of times I've ever had to raise my voice to you."

The "discussion" continued.

To say what had just happened was disturbing was an understatement to say the least and thanks to him, he'd be hearing about it from his Grandmother for the next six months straight.

What had happened had nothing to do with the urgency to save nine innocent people. It'd all been about his ego. Let him make himself loud and clear right now; when there were lives at stake and International Rescue had been asked to help, he didn't give a damn about anybody's ego. John was placed in charge of the rescue because John was a damned good pilot and John was more than capable of getting the job done when it was blatantly clear he wasn't.

His "Point taken Dad." was barely a whisper.

It didn't end there.

He could sit there and deny he was falling apart. He could sit there and deny any damn thing he wanted. But no matter what he choose to deny at the moment, no son of his was ever going to take the controls of an aircraft when he wasn't in a position to handle himself. Not now. Not ever. He had been grounded this morning for his own good and he was staying on the ground from now until he could clearly demonstrate he had a grip on things again.

"The first step towards that son," he stressed, "Is getting some decent sleep."

The eyes continued to burn.

He'd tried to be sympathetic. He'd tried to be understanding. He'd tried to be everything a Father was supposed to be. All he wanted to know was what the hell he was trying to do to himself. Running on the beach at all hours of the night until he collapsed on the sand in exhaustion; not eating or sleeping when he should; not communicating with his brothers; stupidly drowning himself in the scotch.

"Punishing yourself like this isn't going to make what happened go away Scott." he re-iterated wishing he didn't have to sound so hard. "Mistakes are made by even the best of men and whether you want to hear this or not …that includes you. You need to accept you made a mistake with the legal agreement in Manhattan and the mistake has cost you Daniel. That's the reality of your situation son and that reality isn't going to change by dealing with things like this."

The breath he took was momentary.

Look he knew that probably sounded like he thought Daniel was just some sort of possession instead of a little boy but someone needed to keep a level head around here. It wasn't as if he didn't understand how he must be feeling. He and his brothers were the most important things in the world to him. He just knew what the legalities were. The law was the law and whether the Tracy family had one dollar or one billion, the law would always be the law.

"Scott if nothing else you have to understand that."

The real warning sounded and like every other warning Jefferson Tracy had given over the years, there was no room to negotiate and definitely no room to argue.

He had to understand; because if he didn't, it wouldn't only be today that he was stood down as the Field Commander of International Rescue.

If he didn't pull himself together soon, the stand down was going to be permanent.

"Base to Thunderbird Five. Alan it's me."

The screen that came into focus in Thunderbird Five was separate to the normal communication screens and one his Father would literally bust a nut over if he ever found out it existed. It was their private screen, set up with the help of Brains and carefully concealed behind volumes on mathematical theories so they could secretly communicate with each other whenever he was in the satellite.

"Tin-Tin you know I can't talk to you right now." Alan berated her; nevertheless delighted she'd taken the time to call him again.. "I'm in the middle of rescue operation at the moment and Dad expects me to concentrate."

He winked.

"You know I can't concentrate whenever I see you."

Tin-Tin blushed at the compliment but tried to focus on the reason for the call.

"I know you're busy Alan and I don't intend to hold you up for long. I only wanted to know if you'd managed to get the information on the gradients for me yet."

"Of course I have Madam Engineer." Alan sniffed, pretending to be miffed, "I radioed what you needed through to Dad a few moments ago. I thought you'd be waiting for it in the lounge."

He grinned and winked at her again.

"You and me don't usually talk about gradients on our frequency baby. Not geographical ones anyway."

"Don't be dreadful Alan, "she scolded him. "I **_was_** waiting for the information but I needed to come upstairs and dress. I can't sit in a bathrobe when I'm working right next to your Father. "

"Well don't mind me then Mrs Tracy." he joked, leaning closer to the console, "By the sounds of things I'd better stick around for a while and fulfil the requirements of my job."

A coy smile tempered her lips.

"And what's that supposed to mean then Mr Tracy?" she demanded, folding her arms and trying to look serious.

Alan laughed and continued with the joke.

"Tin-Tin you know as well as I do that Dad expects me to keep a close eye on anything and everything that might escalate into an emergency or rescue."

"Well for your information there's no emergency around here Mr. Thunderbird Five." Tin-Tin warned, reaching out for her clothes and beginning to loosen her bathrobe.

"Boy this will sure rescue me though." he teased. "After three whole weeks without you baby, what's under that bathrobe's liable to give me more than just one big emergency."

He was happy to see his efforts rewarded with the "look" and the bathrobe being thrown at the screen in disgust.

"That's obscene Alan and I don't even want to think about it."

"Hey no fair. " he exclaimed in his best fifth grade voice as she turned her back on him and walked in the direction of their bathroom, "I can't see anything if you go dressing yourself in there!"

"Exactly right." she called back. "If you want to see anything else you fancy Mr Tracy, you come home from that satellite."

Alan's smile faded instantly. Not being home was a subject he didn't find funny anymore.

"I do want to come home Tin-Tin." he swallowed despondently "But you should know by now there's nothing I can do about it."

"Say that again Alan?" was her response over the noise of the running tap.

Alan didn't reply knowing full well that even if he did she wasn't in a position to hear him. His blue eyes looked around the satellite with discontent while he listened to the frantic conversations of the emergency teams awaiting the arrival of International Rescue. It wasn't as if this wasn't worthwhile or anything. Like his Father had said to him earlier, International Rescue had a very important job to do and accurately monitoring things in Thunderbird Five was more than necessary to do it.

But there were other things in his life now. Things that were more important.

Like her …

Like Lucy Josephine…

Like the son he'd only been home long enough to hold for three of his five months of life.

He frowned.

He really hated coming home after a month away to see Lucy Josephine happily sitting on Gordon's lap when the lap she sat on should have been reserved as his. He hated not being there when Baby AJ cried. Above all he hated Tin-in having to spend six months of the year without him and then to hear from his Grandmother that she wasn't coping with things in his absence.

His frown deepened.

He couldn't help the way he was feeling. All he wanted to do was to be at home with his family.

"Look I gotta go Tin-Tin." he mumbled discontentedly. "If you need any more information on gradients you know where you have to come to find me."

Alan's sudden change in mood worried Tin-Tin. She hurried back into the room when she heard him, her beautiful brown eyes inquisitive and querying his.

"Alan?"

Alan looked away.

"I'm not talking rocket science Tin-Tin. Like I said before; Dad expects me to concentrate and we're not supposed to mix International Rescue with what we do in private. You've got a job to do and so have I. I'll see you later OK? Alan Tracy out."

Tin-Tin's stood in bewilderment when he cut the communication short without so much as a further word. She stood replaying their conversation over and over in her head.

"_you come home from that satellite."_

Her hand flew to her mouth. The teasing was only meant to be innocent fun. She hadn't thought anything of it. Why all of a sudden had he? If anyone fooled around when they were supposed to be being serious, it was him.

Her heart sank. She really should have guessed.

He had always been extremely sensitive about their relationship and whilst he never said anything, even to her, she knew how inadequate being stuck up in Thunderbird Five sometimes made him feel.

"Oh Alan." she sighed, staring at the blackened screen. "This isn't getting any easier for either of us."

The flashing of her wrist communicator soon reminded her that she didn't have time to think about it. Like him, International Rescue needed her and nine people's lives were hanging in the balance. Personal relationships took a back seat in International Rescue when it came to the business of saving lives. That was the way it was and that was the way it was always going to be.

She blinked away the tiredness and quickly responded to the communicator.

As expected it was Jefferson Tracy.

"I'm sorry Mr.Tracy." she apologised. "I'll be down in just a few more minutes. I was … ummm …"

Her mind went into overdrive. She couldn't say she had been talking to Alan.

" …ummm ….checking on the children.'"

Jeff Tracy's voice was bleak. His last thing on his mind right now was his Grandchildren.

"Tin-Tin." he said and his voice never wavered. "I'm afraid we can't put these calculations off any longer honey. John's fifteen minutes away from the danger zone…."

He shuddered as he worst fears were verbalised.

"…and we've got twenty under that rubble now."

* * *

Author's Note – The writings of mcj, good and not so good have never been intended to upset, insult or offend anyone. Thanks for reading them these last 3 years.

_"Write because you love to write and only stop when the love of the written word is gone." _


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's Note – Thank you for taking the time to read this story. I once again acknowledge the generosity of my friend "Lady Viva" in allowing me to use Margo Marin - Scott's special love from her story "What is Now and What Should Never Be" in the course of this Chapter. Margo is an exciting and captivating character and writing Scott's love for her in the course of my own humble words is really rather interesting. …mcj _

**Possessions – Chapter 4**

**THE NIGHTMARE FROM HELL - PART ONE**

**"REALITY CALLS"**

The scene of the Mexican disaster was horrific and it briefly crossed his mind that next time International Rescue got the call; Scott could keep his precious job of Field Commander very much to himself.

"Oh Jesus." he breathed bringing the imposing silver Thunderbird in for a closer look at the devastation. "Where the hell do we start?"

Visibly shaken, he turned his head back in the direction of the communications. He couldn't help but notice his hand was trembling a little on the controls.

"Thunderbird One to Base" he began, trying his best not to sound rattled.

He soon began to understand not being rattled was easier said than done.

John Tracy was painfully aware of the shoes he was required to fill and in all the rescues he had co-ordinated from Thunderbird Five, not once had he ever heard Scott sound even the remotest bit rattled. Ice cool under pressure, he guessed for Scott it all but came with the territory, or, as Gordon had so bluntly put it a few hours earlier, "his ability to make a pretty good call in a crisis."

John tried his best not to scowl. He thought the world of his brother but overhearing Virgil and Gordon's conversation in the hangar of Thunderbird Two had really made him burn.

The commanding voice took his mind off his discontent by immediately sounding in return.

"This is base to Thunderbird One. Go ahead John."

John breathed a sigh of relief. At least his Father sounded like things had settled down at home and International Rescue was back to "business as usual."

"I've arrived at the danger zone Father." he began with his normal brisk efficiency. "Virgil radioed me earlier. He said he's twenty two minutes behind me."

"FAB son." the voice acknowledged. "How are things looking over there?"

John scanned the mountainside both above and below him and tried to find the words to reply. Fading light and driving rain almost blinded his vision but the devastation he was still able to witness from where he hovered made him feel almost physically sick.

"Bad Sir." he finally responded.

His scowl soon returned when he heard Scott's powerful voice in the background demanding to know what the hell "bad" was supposed to mean.

"You can be such a pain in the ass sometimes." he muttered quietly under his breath. "What the heck do you think it means?"

He sat bolt upright in front of the controls and forced himself to go in closer. He had to make a more accurate assessment of the situation before Virgil and Gordon arrived with the equipment and he wanted to make sure he did so before he received any further "words of wisdom" from Scott.

"Father I'm assessing things now." he reported, his face a study of intensity. "The western side is still unstable and from what I can see from here, the whole of the southern side is gone."

He listened carefully as Tin-Tin explained that from the information she had, the southern side wasn't the area where they needed to concentrate their efforts.

"The likelihood of anyone surviving the land-fall on that side of the mountain is absolutely minimal John. "she stated, her gentle voice devoid of any emotion. "The western rock-face has a superior geographical formation and there's a very good chance we'll still find survivors under there."

"OK thanks Tin-Tin." he said, wearily planning the recovery of muddied, broken bodies in his head.

He paused for a moment to settle himself down. He just didn't understand the human race sometimes. How so many people had been permitted to construct their homes on such a clearly unstable formation was beyond all reasonable comprehension. It simply didn't make sense.

"Putting innocent people at risk to make a quick buck. It isn't damn well humane." he muttered peering at the destruction once more and ignoring the nausea building up in the pit of his stomach. "Those poor bastards under there didn't stand a chance."

Despite the unsteadiness in his gut, he continued to manoeuvre Thunderbird One around the mountainside.

"The rest of the outcrop seems fairly intact Father. "he observed.

His composure returned as he carefully assessed the terrain.

"If I can find somewhere level, I'm confident both the "Birds" can land."

The reply he received was instantaneous and not from the lips of his Father. No sooner had he spoken than a worried bellow echoed through the communications and right throughout the cabin of Thunderbird One.

"John!" Scott almost shouted, his voice reeking with alarm and absolute panic. "DO NOT … I repeat … DO NOT land down there without clearance."

The inside corners of John's blonde eyebrows knitted. Scott was really starting to push his luck now. Just how did he figure International Rescue was going to rescue anyone buried under rubble for six hours if he didn't take the ultimate risk and land?

"I thought you were supposed to be in bed." he commented in his own matter-of fact Tracy tone.

"I am John." Scott replied coldly, clearly not appreciating the response. "But a man doesn't sleep too well when he knows his little brothers are out there without him, especially when the one who's been placed in charge wants to start doing crazy, stupid things like that. "

John's hackles rose. He was still smarting over Scott's outburst when his Father stood him down from command and Virgil hadn't made things any better either by failing to turn off the communications before he and Gordon had decided to discuss his ability to do so in the cockpit of Thunderbird Two.

"It's not crazy." he heard himself snap. "I haveto land down there if we're gonna do anything to help and if I don't do something fast we may as well have stayed at home with you."

He moistened his lips with a gritty, determined tongue.

"Look I understand where you're coming from Scott but I'm not in the third grade anymore. I know for a fact if you were seeing what I'm seeing at the moment you'd have landed ten minutes ago."

"That may well be son." interrupted the third and most powerful voice of all. "But your brother has a point. The stability of the area isn't something any of us should be taking for granted at the moment."

John opened his mouth to argue but he wasn't given the chance.

"This Organisation is about saving lives John, not about losing your own." Jeff Tracy reminded him firmly. "I want you to stand by until Alan runs you some data on the area and then and only then are you to go down."

"FAB Sir." John grumbled, accepting the subtle admonishment as graciously as he could. It was almost like his Father thought he was Alan. Alan was always being warned for being far too eager to put himself in the firing line, most of the time, without giving any thought to the consequences. He'd lost count of the number of times their Father expressed the need for caution whenever Alan became involved.

His eyes rolled.

Well he was no Alan and for the life of him he didn't know why he had to be subjected to the same.

The grumbling continued as he stood by on Thunderbird Five's frequency waiting to receive the clearance.

"International Rescue's Field Commander." he spat, jabbing sullenly at the controls. "Sure I am …can't even make a decision to land without somebody granting me permission."

The seconds ticked by and so did the extent of his patience.

"Damn it Alan. What's holding things up?_" _he snapped forgetting every word could be heard by his equally impatient baby brother.

"Chill out will you." Alan protested from Thunderbird Five. "It's not like I'm some sort of geophysicist or anything."

"I don't expect you to be Al." John flashed back, suddenly sounding surprisingly like Scott did in a crisis. "All I want you to do is tell me if the data you've got indicates it's safe for me to land."

"I'm running it." Alan griped in return. "Gees John, give me a chance will you? Dad only asked me to do it for you half a second ago."

John grasped the back of his neck with a sweaty, frustrated hand. If he would have been on duty in Thunderbird Five he would have run the data an hour ago, purely as a matter of course.

"You should have _all_ information on hand at _all_ times Alan. I keep telling you …"

Now it was Alan's turn to be abrupt.

"Save the lecture for someone who needs it John ... the data says you're clear to land." he interrupted after quickly viewing the printouts.

John frowned sensing the tone of discontent.

"Boy what the hell's eating you?"

"ME?" Alan shot back. "I think you should play One's flight recorder back a couple of times and ask yourself the same question John."

John flinched. The remark stung and came a little too close to the core for comfort.

"Maybe I will when I have a little more time on my hands Alan." he replied, ending the spat with his usual dismissive dryness. "At the moment I've got more important things to do."

Carefully manipulating the controls of Thunderbird One he returned his attention to the mountainside. "Stand by Thunderbird Five. I'm taking her down now."

The arrival of International Rescue was heralded by a near perfect landing but John Tracy still paused momentarily at the controls after detecting what he thought was a tremor.

_"Thunderbird One in ten thousand pieces." _he scoffed to himself_. "Yeah Johnny T that'd really top things off."_

He continued to sit at the controls debating whether he should leave the craft. He didn't want to push things with Alan but boy he sure hoped he was right about the stability of the rock face.

Alan's comments periodically ricocheted through his head.

John sighed. The kid was right when he said he had something eating him.

He had something eating him all right.

Big time.

He hadn't appreciated the comments about his ability to take command, particularly the one he'd had to stomach earlier that morning standing in the lounge room next to Scott.

So Scott thought he was the only one who had given up everything for International Rescue did he? That insinuation alone demonstrated he wasn't thinking straight at the moment.

"Anyone would think the rest of us were just sitting by the telephone, bags packed, waiting for Dad to call." he thought to himself sarcastically. "None of us had lives Scott. None of us had dreams. We didn't have women in our bed either. All we wanted to do was give everything up and come back to the middle of nowhere to live and work for our Father."

"And …" he reflected, "...as I recall, the only reason I agreed to give it all up in the first place was because Virgil convinced me Dad was doing it for Mom."

"Sardonic ass." he berated himself. "You're spending far too much time in that space station Johnny."

Still, he had to admit he felt sorry for Scott, particularly the humiliation he'd gone through facing Adelaide Washington in the court room. It couldn't have been easy for him to lose all access to his son especially when up to now he had never made a wrong decision about anything important in his life.

He frowned, rose to his feet and activated the camera detector.

Irrespective, it still didn't give Scott the right to think he was the only one who had a personal life affected by International Rescue.

He had some very private issues of his own too and no-one was helping him deal with those.

XXXXXXXXXX

The sterile steel benches were a very welcome solace when a woman wasn't allowed to express herself, particularly living in a household completely dominated by men. When pressures were building and tensions were high it gave her satisfaction to bang and crash and slam things around to at least make herself feel better. It did nothing for the bench of course, she often worried if she'd dented a few bits of it here and there over the years, but at least it got the point across to the offender without the need to say as much as a word.

But today things were very different. She had a point to make all right and nothing would have pleased her more than to make it, but today even Josephine Tracy realised it was in the best interests of everyone to be silent.

Faced with having to deal with the fall-out from the scene she had witnessed earlier, she elected to sit alone at the bench, head down, arms folded, worried; saddened, and disturbed.

This whole thing with Scott was such a mess.

He wouldn't talk to his Father about how he felt anymore.

She sighed.

He wouldn't even talk to her.

He'd closed up like a book and had nothing to say to anyone.

His reaction was only natural, she told herself, looking apprehensively out towards the ocean. He'd never been much of a talker since the day his Mother died. He'd always preferred to articulate himself to others by his actions of love, caring and concern.

That had always been a sore point with her.

Despite her encouragement, he rarely allowed his own feelings to show and he spoke about them even less.

"Hiding how you feel behind some sort of mask of self discipline and cast iron self control isn't natural I swear." she thought to herself. "None of it."

She sighed again.

Whilst those attributes might have served him well in the Air Force, they certainly weren't doing much to help him cope with the sad reality of what was happening to him now.

She hated to admit it; not only because she thought the world of him but also because out of all Jeff's sons, he was the one least likely to crack; but Scott was teetering far too close to the edge at the moment for her liking.

She had tried to get him to confide in her by making him see she understood.

These things weren't things a Grandmother particularly approved of, she'd said, but they were things she knew most likely happened. Tracy Island was a lonely place for a handsome young bachelor and the need for female "companionship" when he went to the mainland for his Father wasn't anything for him to be ashamed of.

"Sweetheart it's natural thing for a man to want to be with a woman." she'd said to him with a touch of a reassuring hand.

She pursed her lips with disapproval.

She just wished he hadn't picked that one.

Her frown deepened.

Even so, he couldn't continue punishing himself for what had happened between them in Manhattan any more than he could keep punishing himself for the fact that one afternoon of panic and indiscretion had robbed him of all opportunity to ever be a Father to his son.

She twisted her fingers together unhappily. She didn't understand the law but she certainly understood the importance of family. A Tracy son, no matter how he'd made his way into the world, had a right to grow up surrounded by the basic values of truth and decency. A Tracy son also deserved to be nurtured in the special love only a Daddy like Scott could give him.

The frowned deepened further.

And if Scott was Daniel's Daddy, Daniel's place was here with him. Not … she silently festered within herself …somewhere in Manhattan with that … that Washington woman.

Her process of thought changed. The court decision troubled her but there had been a lot more go on in this household lately that troubled her even more.

"I swear he grows more and more like that Father of his with every single waking moment." she suddenly observed out loud.

She startled when Kyrano seemed to appear from nowhere and began to walk towards the bench. In his hands he held two cups of freshly brewed green tea.

"Yes, Mr. Tracy and Scott have always shared a very definite likeness." the elderly retainer acknowledged, placing the cups on the table and giving her a faint hint of a smile. "Of that there is no doubt."

Josephine Tracy gave him an anaemic smile of her own and courteously motioned him to sit down. She always welcomed a pleasant conversation with Mr. Kyrano no matter how unhappy she was feeling about things. Over the years he had proven himself to not only be a good sounding board whenever she was worried or upset, but a close and trusted friend as well.

She accepted the tea gratefully and lifted the elegant china cup to her lips.

"Kyrano I'm not talking about Scott." she said trying her best to not to be too blunt. "Although you're not far off the mark if you want my opinion on the way things are around here at the moment."

Kyrano looked confused.

"Mrs Tracy?" he queried politely. "I'm afraid I do not understand your meaning."

She shrugged her shoulders with a kind of saddened resolution.

"No I know you probably don't understand Mr Kyrano." she said, appreciating his honesty. "That's because I'm talking about my own son at the moment and not my Grandson. For the life of me I can't believe Jeff lost his temper and blew up like Mount Vesuvius this morning. It's not like him to lose control of himself with his sons and neither is taking out everything and everybody in his path in the process."

Her hands clenched around her cup.

"But that's exactly what his Father used to do when he got frustrated with situations he couldn't control." she added firmly. "Bottled it all up inside until the fire had nowhere else to go and then let fly at some poor innocent bystander who happened to be around him at the time."

She fixed her determined, dark blue eyes on his face.

"Believe me when I say I know all about that Mr Kyrano," she finished, "because when my Grant was alive and breathing on this earth, nine times out of ten the innocent bystander was me."

She folded her arms and looked down at the bench, trying to sort things through.

"He'll regret it too once he simmers down and realises what he's said to his son in the heat of the moment. Grant always regretted things when he finally calmed himself down. Ended up spending more time making up for what he said to me than the time it actually took for him to say it."

Her head slowly shook back and forth.

"I know Jeff's only worried that Scott isn't coping with the hand life's dealing out to him at the moment, but irrespective Mr Kyrano, I don't think what he said in there this morning was any way to deal with it. Not a Father who idolises his eldest son like my Jeff does."

Kyrano nodded his head gravely.

"As always you speak words of great wisdom Mrs Tracy." he agreed. "All of us are worried about Scott at the moment and it goes without saying that as a Father, Mr Tracy is the most worried of us all."

Josephine Tracy arched her eyebrows and gave him a wry look. He was so predictable; this quiet, dignified friend of her only son.

"And as usual Mr Kyrano I notice you have conveniently refrained from commenting on the rest of it." she observed.

Kyrano reddened. Josephine Tracy was elderly but he had long since given up the notion she could ever be fooled by anyone.

"As you know Mrs Tracy it is not my place to interfere or offer opinions." he responded politely. "My position here is merely to ensure the smooth running of the household and attend to Mr Tracy's private and professional needs."

"Of course it is Mr. Kyrano. I didn't expect you assumed anything else. "she replied.

Both of them fell silent and continued to sip their tea. This time it was Kyrano who had his head down, deep in thought. He had been privy to much more in this situation with Scott than Josephine Tracy would ever know or would ever be allowed to know. Even though she involved herself in everything to do with her son and grandsons, she had not seen the side of Jefferson Grant Tracy he had seen over the past few months.

She assumed the hours her son spent alone in his Office were spent making money or addressing urgent Tracy Enterprises business. "A workaholic even in a crisis," she had chided him. "Jeff can't you see making money does nothing whatsoever to support your son?"

As Kyrano well knew, nothing could have been further from the truth.

Josephine Tracy had no idea his Office was the only place he could go to safely hide the tears of a Father in turmoil, a man torn between risking the business he had hidden his grief behind for over twenty years and meant everything to him ... and the Grandson he might never know.

The pain of his decision was killing him.

"Am I wrong in denying my son access to his own flesh and blood old friend?" he had asked him on more than one occasion, "Or am I guilty of just seeing the legalities Scott's inflicted on himself for what they really are?"

Kyrano grimaced noticeably remembering how deeply he had been affected by those words. In all the years he had known Jefferson Tracy, a lack of confidence in his parental decisions was something Jefferson Tracy didn't have.

He looked over at her and resignedly lifted his cup.

Josephine Tracy only knew the half of it even though she meant well.

"The trouble with Jefferson..." she continued as much to herself as to him, "…is he's too darned direct for his own good and he's worse again when he ties himself up in knots and gets worried. I told him that myself when he blew up about what happened between Scott and that Adelaide woman in the first place and time and knowledge of the situation hasn't made him any better. "

Only then did she pause and look to him for affirmation.

"You see Mr. Kyrano, my Jeff thinks the world of his boys and I'm not telling you anything when I say he takes it rather personally if any of them fail."

When the affirmation didn't come she folded her arms once more and looked back out at the tranquil tropical day.

There had to be way to sort out this mess.

There had to be a way to access Daniel.

Her eyes narrowed.

And she wouldn't rest in bed at night until she found herself an answer.

XXXXXXX

There were times when Virgil Tracy wished the reputation of International Rescue didn't sit solely and squarely on his shoulders. The enormous green craft could only go so fast and it wasn't easy to arrive at a danger zone to be informed, yet again, that the success of the mission completely depended on his ability to drop, launch and man the rescue equipment all in under record time.

Flying in over this particular scene was bad enough.

Gordon's reaction had said it all.

"Whoaaaaa..." was the only word that left the lips of the International Rescue Aquanaut.

In the meantime he was being subjected to John's five minutes of terse, intensive instructions.

"Hi Virgil it sure is good to see you again." he flung back good-naturedly in response. "By the way big brother I hope you enjoyed your flight."

John Tracy failed to see the humour. His chest heaved with stress as he stood alone on the mountainside diligently manning the mobile control.

"Yeah yeah OK. I'm sorry Virg." he said distractedly. "I didn't mean to bark at you like that. I guess I'm a little tense."

Two chestnut eyebrows arched as the long artistic hands remained steady on the controls. A little? John was so wound up at the moment he sounded like he'd been asked to stand solo right in front of the firing squad.

"Take it easy Johnny." he said calmly glancing over at Gordon who still sat open mouthed surveying the scene. "We'll be with you in a few minutes."

"FAB Virgil but do you think you could kind of hurry? From what I can figure any survivors still alive down here are fast running out of time."

"FAB John. I'm commencing my descent now."

"I'll take charge of clearing the road Virg." Gordon offered, carefully scanning the terrain. "That way the emergency authorities will be able to assist us with the recovery."

"I guess so … but how long's all that gonna take?" Virgil replied dubiously

"Shouldn't take me more than an hour I figure."

"Gordo ..."

"What Johnny?"

"You got half an hour."

"Half an hour? No way. Have you seen what I'm going to have to do?"

"Yeah I have Gordon. Like I said; half an hour."

"Yeah and you're kidding me too right?"

"Squirt I'm fast finding out no-one kids around when they're given this job."

There was a momentary silence from both Thunderbird Two and Mobile Control.

"OK John." finally crackled across the frequency. "Half an hour it is then."

"Thanks. Mobile Control to Thunderbird Five."

Alan's voice sounded loud and clear across all frequencies.

"Thunderbird Five. Go ahead John."

"Alan … if that data changes and we need to get the hell out of here fast... you make sure you yell…"

"FAB. Standing by."

"Alan …"

"What?"

"Yell**_ LOUD."_**

"That's a promise Mobile Control"

"Mobile Control to Thunderbird Two."

"Thunderbird Two."

"Virgil ..."

The voice of command faltered.

"Johnny?"

"Virgil …"

"You OK Johnny?"

"Virgil...I'm not Scott."

The voice of reassurance sounded supportively across the frequency.

"Yeah I know you're not. But this is International Rescue little brother and there's no room in this outfit for doubt."

XXXXXXX

He knew she didn't have very long and he realised she had other things to think about with the demands being placed upon her with the rescue; but he'd been waiting for the chance to confide in her ever since they'd left the courtroom and he wasn't going to get a better opportunity.

Almost feeling a sense of relief, he padded to the end the hallway and knocked on the door of the suite she shared with his youngest brother Alan.

He had to talk about how he felt to someone and Tin-Tin was the only one who understood how precious his relationship was with the beautiful Bombardier pilot Miss Margo Marin.

He hesitated outside for a few moments feeling stupidly like a child. She was nearly eight years younger than he was. Even so, it never felt that way when he confided in Tin-Tin about Margo. Sophisticated and worldly, intelligent and astute she complimented his personality perfectly.

Slowly he lifted his hand. It was hard not to squirm and look about uncomfortably at the thought of what he was about to say. Confiding in Tin-Tin meant stripping away his façade and he never felt relaxed about letting his guard down when it came to divulging how he felt.

He continued to remind himself this was in his best interests. He needed to have this conversation with Tin-Tin whether he was going to like what she had to say to him or not. Whatever she said would be true.

She always listened and she was always honest.

... and ... he acknowledged, finally mustering the courage to tap on the door ... she knew Margo Marin almost as intimately as he did.

Tin-Tin responded to the curt, sharp knock almost immediately.

"Come in." she called.

He faltered before opening the door.

"Do this damn you." the voice inside of him said. "You trust her. You know you do"

She obviously wasn't expecting him but she disguised her reaction well with a tired but welcoming smile.

He smiled tiredly too.

He supposed he could understand why she appeared to be surprised. He'd been avoiding her like the plague for the past two days, particularly when he saw she held baby AJ in her arms. Every time he saw Alan and Tin-Tin's robust baby boy, the pain of his situation with Daniel cut deeper and he had to excuse himself or turn away.

It didn't help that she cradled baby AJ now.

"Hi honey." he said tentatively, his hand still grasping the edge of the door. "You got time to talk at the moment?"

She indicated the feeding baby and the little chestnut haired toddler sitting close beside her on the bed.

"Of course I do Scott. Please come in and sit down."

She motioned him to sit on the end of the king sized bed and went on to ask him if he was feeling any better. After a few hours sleep, courtesy of some strange herbal remedy of his Grandmother's, he had to admit to her that he was.

"I'm glad." she said genuinely. "I've been very worried about you these past few days Scott."

She hesitated, not wanting to upset him, but then decided to continue.

"And so has Mr. Tracy."

He averted his eyes immediately. He didn't want to talk about the earlier altercation with his Father. They'd both said things they'd regretted in the heat of the moment and for that he was sincerely sorry, but when it came to standing him down as Field Commander of International Rescue his Father had made it very clear to him that if he wasn't fit for command, he had no regrets about standing him down at all.

"Mr. Tracy did what he had to do Scott. He cares about you very much." she offered carefully.

His eyes returned to hers. Despite how he unhappy he was about the stand-down he knew deep in his heart she was right.

"What a pity I don't care too much for myself then isn't it Tin-Tin?"

With that the forum for his self-assassination opened… how he felt about everything that had happened in his life recently;

...the guilt of involving himself with a married woman.

...the disgust he felt for demanding a legal agreement when he should have found another way to face up to his responsibilities.

...the way he conducted himself in the court.

...how he had acted that morning in the lounge.

From there he moved on to his relationship with Margo;

... how he could possibly think he deserved a woman like her.

... how afraid he was that she would end things if he told her anything about Daniel.

"It's bad enough I'm lying to her about International Rescue Tin-Tin." he confessed. "How do you think I feel knowing there's all this crap festering in the back of my closet too?"

She listened to him attentively but without any comment.

Scott had confided in her from the beginning that he wanted to be honest about his life in International Rescue. They'd had many a private discussion in the past as to the reasons he couldn't. Security ... danger … the risk to the Organisation if things didn't work out between them...

And now, just when it looked like things might be working out, he had to grapple with the additional agony of whether to hide the truth about his past from Margo too.

"A past which includes signing away my son because I made a stupid mistake which one day might cost the Company money." he swallowed looking at his image in the mirrors with loathing. "Hardly makes for good husband material in Margo's eyes does it Tin-Tin?"

In the silence that followed she bowed her head and watched the rhythmic movements of the baby at her breast and then at the little girl whose life had so very nearly ended on a cold sterile bench in San Diego.

Husband material.

Alan hadn't been the best husband material in the beginning either and she was the very first person to admit it. She would never forget how frightened she had been the day he took her to that awful place and how difficult it had been for her to forgive him when his conscience forced him to realise aborting their baby would be wrong.

"We all make mistakes Scott..." she finally observed," ... and we both know Margo expects you to be honest in all matters to do with yourself and with her."

Her face reflected her complete honesty.

"There's the problem." he replied with more than a sense of hopelessness. "How she's going to react to that honesty eighteen months after the fact?"

Tin-Tin had to admit she understood. She didn't know how Margo was going to react either. Her initial reaction to Scott had not been very complementary. To Margo he had been nothing but a playboy and she had been adamant if he wanted any kind of relationship with her there was no room in his life for other women.

"Scott as I said to you before, we are all guilty of making mistakes."

Her brown eyes remained steady.

"Even you..." she stressed gently.

She allowed him a few minutes to digest her words. He always showed so much compassion for others but never showed the same compassion for himself. She sometimes thought that as the eldest, he didn't actually believe he was entitled to any.

"Scott." she continued. "What you must decide in your heart is whether you believe what happened months before the two of you met would affect the deep and real love I know she feels for you now."

To his own mind came the love he had developed for Margo Marin over the past eighteen months. It was a love he had never felt for Adelaide Washington. It was a love he wanted in his life forever and the love he remembered witnessing so freely as a child. He wanted Margo Marin to welcome him home when he came back tired and dirty from a rescue. He wanted her to put her arms around him and tell him sometimes it was all right for a man to feel afraid. He wanted the same married love that Alan had and God willing bring some children of their own into the world.

Children ...

Therein lay the other complication.

Margo had always been up front and honest about the possibility she may not be able to give him children. What is meant to be is meant to be he reassured her. If push came to shove they could always adopt. How would she cope knowing another woman could so easily nurture his seed?

He wearily rubbed his forehead.

Dear God.

No wonder he couldn't sleep.

Margo wouldn't cope at all and he knew it.

The dreaded scene began unfolding in his head like a deck of cards and it was every bit as horrific as the night he faced Adelaide Reynolds on the sidewalk in Las Vegas.

He began to sweat.

Not again. He couldn't face something like that again.

"Tin-Tin..." he suddenly blurted.

"What Scott?"

"Do you mind if ask you something?"

"You know you've always been able to ask me anything Scott."

"It's personal."

"Oh ... " she faltered. "Ummm … all right."

"And I need you to be completely honest with this one honey."

Honesty in all her words and actions.

She had been raised that way from a child.

Her eyes expectantly lifted to his waiting for the question.

"Of course." she agreed.

"Tin-Tin I'll understand if you don't want to answer this but ... honey ... well ... if Alan walked through that door right now and told you he thought he'd Fathered a son with another woman ... how would it make you feel?"

Tin-Tin became thoughtful and once again focussed her attention on the baby she held in her arms. Her first reaction was that it wouldn't really surprise her. Alan had never made a secret of his trysts with women before the two of them had become lovers. Even now he sometimes forgot himself when he was joking around with Gordon about the things they used to do in the past.

Her second reaction was her first reaction was stupid. She was the only one in his life now.

"I think initially I would be very hurt." she admitted after a long deliberation. "... and I also think I would find the news of a child by another woman most difficult for me to accept."

Scott's eyes widened with dismay.

"You see Tin-Tin? That's exactly my point and that's exactly why I know what's going to happen to us if I tell her."

She shook her head and urged him to calm down.

"No Scott please listen. At no time did I say I wouldn't still love Alan if something like that happened."

Scott was far too distressed to believe her.

"Forgive my directness here Tin-Tin but wouldn't the thought of him being with another woman change the way you feel about him even just a little?"

Her face contorted sadly.

"I live with that thought each and every time he is within me..." she confided quietly, "... but despite his earlier indiscretions I still love him very deeply. You too must remember that Margo has those same deep feelings for you Scott and she has already told you she knows of your reputation in the past."

Tin-Tin paused a moment and then looked thoughtfully at Scott. "The other thing that makes it easier for me to handle is the fact I am the one who Alan married, I am the one he chose, and that makes everything else regarding his past trysts unimportant."

The pretty young Malaysian girl gave him an encouraging smile and carefully removed the sleeping baby boy from her breast.

"I think you should go to New York and tell Margo about Daniel Scott." she said with gentle conviction.

"You will not be able to let this go until you do."

XXXXXX

Despite the sophistication of the equipment, the excavation couldn't have gone any slower. The mountainside had long since grown dark and they had been forced to stop the rescue effort and erect all the helium lights they carried. The darkness was bathed in the eerie artificial light as John and Virgil grimly resumed their efforts to cut through and lift the masses of tangled concrete that once represented a residential village. There were no cries for help under the rubble anymore. There was nothing but a deafening silence.

"Are you getting the feeling there's no point to all this kid?" Virgil sighed as yet another slab of concrete was removed to reveal another.

"Nope." John replied abruptly preparing to concentrate on the delicacy of the next lift. "There's always a point to everything in your life if you look hard enough to find it."

He flashed a half hearted smile. "For the record …Grandma's words not mine. "

"Oh? And would you care to elaborate further in this case Grandma?"

"OK sure. Maybe all this insanity might end up saving a life or two. Good reason for any son-of-a-bitch to bust a gut on a mountainside in the middle of the night wouldn't you agree?"

"You're no Scott when it comes to philosophy John."

"Don't ever recall professing to be …"

"Probably just as well."

"Mmmmm …now if a man can just take this baby back a little further…."

Virgil's eyes dilated as John rolled the machinery back to the point where it teetered dangerously close to the edge of the cliff-face.

"Jesus John!" he swore glancing at the deadly drop behind him. "Be careful with yourself why don't you?"

"Careful?" John snapped as the machinery lurched forward. "I'm working on a seventy degree slope with nothing but a harness and whatever's sticking to my underwear holding me in place Virgil. Pluck the careful crap out of your ass will you?"

"Now you're starting to sound like Scott."

"I'm flattered."

"Don't be. It's no compliment."

"I'd never have guessed."

Further down the mountainside, the sheer slope of the cliff-face and the unrelenting weather was starting to drive Gordon crazy. Normally calm and focussed under pressure, the cracks were beginning to appear in his demeanour at the lack of visible progress.

"This is nothing but a nightmare from hell." he spat through the communications. "We're getting nowhere with this. I've cut twelve; you've lifted twelve and all we seem to do find bodies and another God damn slab."

"You got any better ideas on how we work our way through this great big pile of rubble Einstein?" John growled.

"No I haven't John, but you've gotta start wondering if it's possible for anyone to still be alive under there."

"We're not giving this gig up just because the going's tough Gordo."

"The going's not tough Johnny. It's straight out depressing that's what it is."

"Gordo ..."

"Christ Virgil ..._what_?"

"Take it easy kid huh?"

"Virgil's right Gordo. If we find even one person alive under all this crap it'll be worth it."

"You know John that was my next line."

"I'll say the required lines around here if you don't mind. Goes with the job description I believe."

"Like I said. You're no Scott."

"And like I said… don't profess to be."

"You're a real ass you know that?"

"Yeah I do. Now keep your mind on the job."

"Boy give the guy a little power and it turns him into a ..."

Virgil stopped in mid sentence.

"Shhh …"

John frowned.

"What?"

"Shut the hell up Johnny ..."

Virgil held his finger in dire warning against his lips.

"I mean it man."

He dropped his head and listened carefully until he was absolutely sure he heard the sounds again.

"Oh my God Johnny ...I'm serious ... over there ..." he yelled, pointing in the direction of the rubble.

"I think there's someone under there alive."

_Author's Note - Well even I though I acknowledge it's no "All I want for Christmas" and I know many of the good writers will call it "AU", I enjoyed writing this. _

**NEXT CHAPTER - "The Nightmare from Hell... Part 2 ... Reality answers"**


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's Note - This has to be one of the least updated on but I promised myself I should finish it especially as those of you who have grown to hate Adelaide Washington have done so with such a real and deep-seated passion! …. mcj

* * *

_

**POSSESSIONS – CHAPTER FOUR**

**THE NIGHTMARE FROM HELL - PART TWO**

**"REALITY ANSWERS"

* * *

**

The breathing through the drop-down microphone was laboured and so erratic it sounded like it was being sucked right from the depths of his soul.

Three worried faces continued to exchange anxious glances.

The wheeze of distress said it all.

This guy didn't have very long.

He'd barely been able to tell them he thought his name was Mark. The word trapped in his throat as he said it, stifled by fear and a tightened dryness only lying under slabs of concrete could bring.

Mark.

He hadn't gone on to elaborate that he didn't even like it. Who would if they were in his situation? Children named after their Grandfather were normally given the honour out of love or family tradition.

Not him.

He had only been named after his Grandfather in a pathetic attempt to extract money.

Struggling to stay alive, crushed under tons of banked up rubble, Mark Washington still found the energy to scoff. Thirty-one years ago his Grandfather had promised two-thirds of his entire fortune to the first of his three wayward children to provide him with a Grandson. Needless to say, eldest son James saw the dollar signs first and couldn't procreate fast enough to produce the desired result.

Money.

What good was money at the moment? Money wasn't going to give him back the feeling in his arms and legs. Money wasn't going to miraculously strip away the slabs of concrete entombing him in this murky grave. His late mother had been right when she said money was useless when it came down to the things that mattered.

Money couldn't buy him life.

Mark groaned loudly as he felt the mountainside tremor again and the ripples of excruciating pain shudder down his back.

It was going to be OK, he breathed deeply, trying to focus on the positive. International Rescue was up there. Yeah …if anyone could get him out of this mess, International Rescue could. He just wished it wasn't taking them so long.

_"Be patient Washington and let them do their job." _an inner voice berated him_. "It can't be easy trying to find a way to shift all that concrete." _

At that particular moment the tall young man in the distinctive blue uniform would have been happy to take the time to agree with him.

"We're going to have to wind this down fellas." John Tracy mouthed as quietly as he could. "Latest indication from the satellite is the whole darn thing's gonna go."

Mark closed his eyes. So that was it then. It was time to meet his maker. They thought he couldn't hear them but he'd heard everything for the past three long painful hours. It seemed so ironic that when one was on the edge of death, one became so much more adept at listening to a conversation. For years he'd simply switched off when he was spoken to, only hearing what he wanted to hear and to hell with all the rest. Now he greedily absorbed every word by those International Rescue guys as if it was the most important thing in his universe.

He continued to listen to the conversation. The urgency of it left no doubt they were committed to their job. One, the one with the gentle voice, argued even with another avalanche coming, there was still enough time to break up the concrete and get him the hell out. Five minutes more, he stated firmly and the silence which followed made it more than a little obvious he expected the others to listen to him.

Mark couldn't help but admire such bravery. There was no way he'd ever hang around on an unstable mountainside trying to save some guy he'd never met.

No Sir.

Being a Washington was all about self-preservation.

As the seconds ticked on it was clear the others had agreed with him. All they were debating now was how quickly they'd be able to get into the air if the "kid" radioed in from "Five" again and they were given the order to evacuate. Mark couldn't help but wonder who the "kid" was and what role he was playing in the middle of all of this.

Who cared?

It didn't matter what anybody's "kid" did as long as International Rescue got him out of here alive.

"Mark... Mark listen to me..."

Now it was the distinctive voice of the second one. He sounded strained but still very much in control of the situation.

Strong.

Precise.

Authoritative.

At least that made him feel a little bitter.

"Mark, whatever you do down there stay calm." John Tracy stressed, "We're going to get you out. We just need to work through a fewcomplications we're having with geographical stability at the moment. "

There it was again; that terrible uncontrollable urge to laugh.

Geographical stability ... complications...

Mark Washington scorned himself with an almost silent bitterness. Who the hell did they think they were kidding? The geographical instability of a mountainside on the edge of collapse was hardly a minor complication.

"Mark ... can you hear me?"

John Tracy paused momentarily and stared in the direction of the pile of thick grey mangled concrete. It didn't sit too well with him that there seemed to be nothing coming from underneath it but an eerie stone cold silence.

"Damn it."

The words echoed only seconds before he felt his teeth sinking into the soft fullness of his bottom lip. How much trepidation should a man have to feel waiting for the reply of a faceless stranger? A gasp ... another moan ... he'd accept anything at the moment ... just as long as whatever he heard let him know Mark was still right there with them.

"Damn it Mark. Answer me!" he growled. Didn't this guy understand the risks they were taking with their own lives at the moment?

But as the silence continued, thoughts of negativity continued their inevitable dance in his head. Were they risking their lives for nothing? Had Mark already died?

The taste of blood in his mouth told John he was past the point of being tense. He didn't know what the heck to think any more. Releasing the damaged lip and savagely wiping it clean with the bottom of his sleeve, all he could think about was how his Grandmother would grumble at him, if, or when he finally managed to make it home. She made no secret of the fact he bit his lip when he was worried.

"John dear," he almost heard her say right now, "you know that sort of thing can't possibly be doing you any good."

John shrugged and decided the last thing he needed to think about at the moment was the opinion of his elderly Grandmother. No, biting his lip wasn't doing him any good, but out here it was the only coping mechanism he had.

"Damn it," he muttered for a third time, running his tongue over the wound and trying to remain in control. He sure could use some of Scott's tough, half-barked instructions right now.

"Break the final slab into sixteen." he finally managed to direct.

It didn't help when Virgil jerked his head upwards and baulked at the order immediately.

"Sixteen?" he frowned. "You think that's wise?"

Two blonde eyebrows soon knitted together too.

"It's standard procedure." was the stony reply. "Minimises injury."

Virgil Tracy remained cool under the force of his brother's cold and tight-lipped glare. It may have been standard procedure at any other time but he'd been involved in too many near misses not to stand his ground on this one. Risking the Thunderbird machines to an avalanche was one thing. Risking their lives so this Mark guy came out with a few less scratches on his ass was definitely something else again.

"I estimated we only had five minutes." he snapped, the words of authority a stark contrast to his usual calm. "and that was four minutes and fifty one seconds ago."

John eyed him and Virgil resisted the temptation to insist it wasn't good protocol for International Rescue to argue. Quiet and thorough, a thinker from birth and ridiculously stubborn when it came to an argument, he knew John never committed himself to anything without careful consideration of the consequences. He could also tell he didn't agree.

The slope trembled again.

Almost simultaneously Virgil's jaw squared.

Too bad if he didn't agree. They had to get the hell off this mountainside.

"Little brother ..." he found himself insisting more forcefully, "I'd suggest we get the beam on the centre of that slab NOW!"

Underneath the rubble Mark listened, still trying his best not to panic. So they were brothers. He had to admit he'd long since guessed. He wished he'd had a brother as he was growing up…someone to talk to… someone to share things with… maybe someone he might have even grown to love.

He certainly hadn't been on the receiving end of too many displays of family love and devotion. His Mother had tried her best, he supposed, but his Father had been always been obsessed with nothing but money and possessions...and building up the fortune in his damned Engineering Company.

Anger at his Father temporarily distracted him from his situation. Washington Industries had been his Father's everything over the course of thirty-one painful years. Yeah well so much for the powerful Washington Industries now.

"Hey down there… you still with us Mark?"

Mark was quickly jolted back to the dire world of the present. This third guy had a sense of humour. Why else would he say moan once if you are all right, moan twice really loud if you aren't and then joke about him moaning three times and not knowing what it meant.

"Guess you're stuck with me until my buddies finish cutting you out." Gordon Tracy assured him. "They figure you and I might wanna talk about life and what you'd be doing right now if you weren't stuck down there killing time under a pile of goddamn concrete."

So now they were resorting to diversion, Mark groaned silently to himself. Why not? He was very easily diverted. She'd been extremely good at it during the three short years they'd been married. Using her incredible attractiveness, she'd managed to take his mind off lots off things he regretted…the fact he'd ruined his Father's Company ... the fact she'd made him believe she loved him…and worst of all the fact she'd screwed herself into the position where for nearly six months he really believed he'd been able to Father a child.

Yeah, it was easy for a man with no scruples to allow himself to be diverted; so what was the difference now?

"So what do you say Mark?" the voice echoed from above him. "You wanna talk about the meaning of life? It'd sure take your mind off things for a while if you did. "

In the pause that followed, it occurred to Mark Washington he'd like to meet this young guy if he ever managed to get out of here alive. The world needed more people like him... someone who could make him relax, joke about a little and still care enough about the welfare of others to take the risk with his own life.

"Yeah … OK ..." he managed to rasp.

Gordon Tracy breathed a sigh of relief and proceeded to nod and wave his hands vigorously at his brothers. Mark didn't sound too good but at least they knew he was still alive.

"Great!" he shot back. "Just stick with me buddy. It won't be long now."

Mark closed his eyes. He appreciated what they were trying to do of course, but he'd much prefer to just lie here and let this guy talk about himself.

He couldn't bear to talk about own life and the mess he'd managed to make of it.

XXX

Born and raised in California, Mark James Washington was only too aware he was the son of a marriage long since devoid of love. His Mother was a social butterfly who spent her time following fashion.

His Father was a prominent businessman.

A ruthless businessman.

Suppertime always revolved around Washington Industries and details of his Mother's social circle. Discussions were never about school, or his friends or homework. Discussions always centred on who was wearing what in Hollywood and in his Father's case, the latest strategies for expansion, investment and making more and more money.

He was never academically minded but neither of his parents seemed too concerned about the number of D's on his report card. It wasn't until it came to making applications for College that his Father realised it was a problem. However, nothing ever stood in the way of the powerful James Washington. He simply "paid" to have a place made available for his little boy to study commerce in College, almost in the same way he'd "paid" to make very sure he graduated.

"I didn't want to go to College." the voice above him was admitting. "Boy oh boy did my Dad explode when I stood there and refused to go."

Mark grimaced.

Explode.

What a relevant word.

Back then his Father only ever "exploded" when Company stock fell or the profit margin was reduced. He couldn't have cared less about his wife and only son. Mark soon began to understand why his Mother found comfort in her friends and spending up big on Rodeo Drive with her credit card. At least she was getting something out of the menial life she had been forced to carve out for herself even if it wasn't happiness.

He, on the other hand, took solace in something far more dangerous than a credit card. From the moment he graduated from College, there was no shortage of female company for the heir to the Washington fortune and he had no qualms about physically immersing himself in their charms every single night of the week.

"I've never really understood why people get so uptight over career choice and money." Gordon Tracy rambled. "A College degree wasn't going to make me a better person Mark. You have no idea how many times I had to say that to convince my Dad."

Mark sighed and wished his life could have been as simple and uncomplicated as this guy's seemed to be. He obviously didn't care about money if his only aim in life was to be a better person. He sure wouldn't cut it as a Washington that was decidedly sure. To a Washington, money was the only thing ever allowed to matter.

Too bad all it seemed to attract was disappointment, shallowness and lies.

The tears began to well in Mark Washington's eyes. Money had been the only reason she'd involved herself with him in the first place and he had definitely received more than his fair share of her disappointment, shallowness and lies.

The hot salty liquid trickled slowly down his face. What did it matter anyway? She wouldn't be getting any more money out of him and thanks to the court ruling against Tracy, she wouldn't be able to get her hands on any of the Tracy fortune either. It almost made the pain of the last few days seem worthwhile.

Mark's chest heaved.

No he was wrong.

Nothing would ever take away the pain of the fact he had lied under oath to stop Tracy accessing baby Daniel.

It was better and less painful to think about her and wish they'd never met.

XXX

By the time he'd reached the age of thirty-one, he was very satisfied with his life. Thanks to Washington Industries he awoke each morning comfortable he would enjoy the best of everything … fast car … token job … and an endless supply of money.

Life in California was fast for Mark Washington and life in California was good.

Until the night he met the beautiful Miss Adelaide Reynolds.

He was visiting Manhattan at the time after recently being elevated to the position of Company Director. A good promotion, his Father pointed out, and one he should be grateful for too, considering it was common knowledge in the Company he could hardly read or write.

A flippant shrug of the shoulders indicated to his Father he couldn't care less what was common knowledge in the Company. He controlled the purse strings so who the hell cared?

His Father didn't appreciate his concerns being dismissed and made no bones about the fact he was required to earn his keep. The visit to Manhattan was important. The Company was in a slump and it needed contracts on the east coast. To do that he needed to learn a thing or two about aerospace before he opened his mouth. Tracy was no push-over on his home turf.

"You have no idea what a ruthless bastard he can be," his Father warned, "so the first thing you have to do is educate yourself in the way he thinks. Now ... he's leaving that island of his next week to speak to the world about aerospace, and I want you in the front row of that conference paying attention."

The flippancy soon faded. The look on his Father's face told him he meant it.

And thus he'd found himself at the huge world-wide aerospace conference in Manhattan where Jefferson Grant Tracy, billionaire head of the Tracy Corporation and ex-NASA Astronaut had been engaged to speak about the latest trends in aircraft. His Father had already made it clear he didn't have a lot of time for Mr. Jefferson Grant Tracy, believing him to be rather arrogant, and when the tall well dressed man entered the room and made his way to the podium, Mark Washington very nearly believed it.

There was no doubt in anyone's mind that Jefferson Tracy exuded the ultimate of power. His eyes were crystal clear; his glare reflected the military; and his voice was nothing short of deep, rich and authoritative. More importantly, and just like his father had said, Jeff Tracy knew about aircraft and had more than a wealth of expertise when it came to designing the best of it.

However, despite his dominating presence he turned out to be quite a decent man. He answered all questions from the floor with impeccable charm, displayed a genuine cutting wit and never failed to acknowledge they were all very worthy adversaries in business. The difference of course, and Jeff Tracy knew it, was the fact that the Tracy Corporation had the edge. He was the one who had gone to the moon and questioned everything. He was the one who continued to spend up big when it came to embracing new technology. As a result, he was the only one who could design and produce the finest aircraft in the world.

And Tracy didn't give a damn if people liked what he had to say about it or not.

Funnily enough it hadn't been Jeff Tracy who struck him as the one with all the arrogance. From the moment he set eyes on him, Mark Washington had been more than taken back at the brash, almost cocky behaviour of his talented eldest son.

Scott Tracy swaggered into the conference cocktail party late and with so much self-assurance it was almost like he expected the world to recognise his presence. He was every bit as tall as his Father, had the same crystal clear blue eyes, and exuded nothing but ice-cool confidence. Jeff Tracy smiled benevolently when his son entered the crowded room and had no hesitation in motioning him forward to join in the conversation.

Mark Washington quietly sipped his brandy in a darkened corner of the room watching the Tracy son oblige.

Scott Tracy was intelligent and astute, but unlike his Father, he had very little time for trivial conversation. When he was congratulated for being decorated at such a young age by the United States Air Force, he simply smiled with a distant smugness and politely nodded his head. When he was asked about his own aircraft design "Excelsior", he said he had no comment other than it was the best aircraft he'd flown. When his role in the Tracy Corporation became the topic, he casually swirled the scotch in his glass, laughed, and said he thought his role was rather obvious.

To Mark Washington, it appeared Scott Tracy thought he was a pretty good operator, not only around aircraft but in the art of seducing women. His eyes flirted with every woman in the room and from the very first moment he arrived, each and every one of them seemed ready to give him exactly what he wanted.

Charm.

Money.

Charisma.

The heir to the Tracy fortune had it all.

And Mark Washington couldn't help but detest the man immediately.

She hadn't been a guest at the cocktail party that night, so at least when they met, the conversation didn't revolve around Tracy. The Hilton at midnight was a welcome distraction from the noise and humdrum of the aerospace conference and when Mark Washington entered the stylish bar and saw her sitting in the corner alone, he had a feeling in his bones he might just be about to get lucky.

He approached her as if he had no control over it, slipping onto the red leather stool beside her and offering to introduce himself over a drink. Mark Washington, he repeated over the rim of the squat little glass, son of James Washington, Washington Industries. _Washington Industries_, he stressed when it didn't seem to impress her; _the multi-million dollar corporation based in California_…

At the mention of word "multi-million", her indifference quickly faded.

"Tell me more." she urged, her hand caressing the outer edge of her glass of French champagne.

Much as he wanted to forget about the business world and concentrate on earning some privileges, he stupidly went on to oblige. Latest profit margins and newly projected incomes dribbled like honey off the tip of his tongue.

Once his Fathers wealth was firmly established she told him her name was Adelaide Reynolds and briefly extended her hand. She was very pleased to make his acquaintance. He had to forgive her of course. She didn't know too much about California having only visited there once with her old boyfriend. Washington Industries sounded fascinating.

He really should stay here longer and tell her a little more.

He smiled and carefully manoeuvred his way around the subject of another man, nervous he might still be somewhere close to the scene and anxious to learn his whereabouts.

Her reply should have sounded alarm bells to any man half in possession of his senses. She shrugged her narrow shoulders indifferently and said she didn't care a damn where he'd ended up. She was still thanking God she didn't have to live near a wretched Air force base in Nevada anymore, taking second place to an Air Force Uniform and every kind of stupid jet.

"It was all he cared about Mark." she huffed taking a large mouthful of the champagne in her glass. "It was a hopeless relationship. Let me tell you something right now … after that disaster I don't involve myself with any man who has yearnings to see the world from an aircraft."

He swallowed his scotch, eyed her, and proceeded to make his move.

"Lucky for me then I meet the criteria." he said before holding his breath to see how positively she would react. It went without saying he was soon rewarded with a manicured hand reaching out to touch his thigh.

"I never had any doubt a man like you had yearnings in much more important areas than aircraft."

His whole body tingled as his eyes levelled with hers. She was beautiful …tall, blonde and irresistibly attractive, with a pair of legs that went on forever. Her dress was low-cut ... her perfume was intoxicating.. Nothing was more certain she was prepared to grant him passage.

Under the rubble Mark Washington cringed.

No wonder he'd found himself in bed with her before dawn broke over Manhattan. No wonder he went on to fall deeper and deeper under her spell. No wonder he begged her to come back to California with him when his three weeks in Manhattan were over. She had managed to convince him he was greatest lover in the world and he couldn't possibly live the rest of his life without her.

"Oh God." he whispered in a shamed agony. He didn't want to think about easily he'd been fooled.

The pain in his gut grew worse.

And when she wouldn't come, he was so desperate; he dangled his Father's money as the carrot he knew would persuade her. He promised her everything money could buy. He even promised to marry her if that was what she wanted. Stupidly believing a ring on her finger was the answer, he went down on one knee and made the desired proposal.

She accepted on the condition he invested in a condo in Manhattan. They said a hasty "I do" less than one week later. The condo he selected had a great view of Central Park and the ridiculous price tag more than adequately made up for the fact even his Father couldn't afford one overlooking the Hudson River. A view of the river wasn't all that important, he told her. They wouldn't be in Manhattan all that often to notice. She needed to remember he had business to attend to in the boardrooms of California.

Then and only then did her true personality surface. Where the hell did he get the idea they were going to spend their lives in California? Surely whatever he did could be handled just as easily from New York.

Make no mistake, she told him. If he wanted a wife, he most certainly had one, but as far as California was concerned that was where it all well and truly ended.

The noose tightened securely around his neck. She was now Mrs. Mark Washington and in the absence of any forethought about some kind of legal agreement, half of everything he had was hers.

Including a claim to Washington Industries.

When he finally found the courage to explain what had happened to his Father, James Washington literally exploded. Was he so starved for love that he'd gone and lost every ounce of common sense? How could he go ahead and marry someone he'd only just met in some Hotel bar in Manhattan? How could he believe all she wanted was for him to be satisfied and happy? Didn't he have any kind of brains at all?

He had looked at his Father in disillusioned disappointment.

Satisifed?

Happy?

Was leaving his mother alone night after night the secret to satisfying her and being happy? Was plotting, planning and contriving ways to make more money than the next bastard the secret to putting a special smile on her face?

No it wasn't, he declared vehemently and he wasn't about to return to California and live his own life in the same pathetic way. Adelaide was everything to him.

He could do what he needed to do from a boardroom in Manhattan.

His Father couldn't believe it.

And sadly, neither could the Company he had nurtured to greatness for the past thirty-one years.

In less than three months, and before anyone, including him, realised what the heck had happened, a black credit card and Adelaide Washington's impeccable "taste" managed to destroy Washington Industries.

XXX

Mark Washington cringed again.

He would never forget the look on his Father's face the day Jeff Tracy took over the reins of his Father's company. He had never felt so guilty about anything else in his life. Luckily Tracy was decent about it, making the effort to fly to Manhattan to personally receive the final papers.

Tracy stood by the window of his Office for a long time, squeezing his Father's shoulder and reassuring him he'd always have a job with the Company in California if he wanted it. When his Father declined and said he'd prefer to retire from the aerospace business, Tracy had smiled genuinely and said he understood.

"I think I'd probably do the same thing myself under the circumstances James." he admitted in that powerful voice Mark Washington had learned to recognise so well.

That was followed by another squeeze of the shoulder and the offer of a warmly extended hand. Tracy might have said he understood how his Father was feeling about the takeover but he certainly wasn't going to give him any opportunity to change his mind.

"Enjoy your retirement James." he said sincerely. "I'm sure once you have some Grandchildren in your life you won't regret your decision."

At that moment his Father's eyes clouded even more. He didn't want to give Tracy the satisfaction of knowing there would never be any Washington grandchildren either. Tracy had five virile sons and the promise of many Grandchildren to follow. All his Father had was a son whose less than moral life-style had rendered him sterile at the age of twenty-five.

Mark's breathing began to grow shallow. He'd had enough of the past now. He didn't want to live through any more of his memories, especially anything to do with his past indiscretions and his inability to Father a child.

As the inevitiable blackness drew near, three words began to whirl around and around in his head.

"_Sterility" …_

"_Greed" _…

"_Perjury" …_

With that he began to gasp.

It was time now.

He couldn't take this any more.

"_No Mark we're nearly through"_

"_Don't give up Mark." _

"_Mark just one minute more." _

The black haze descended further. He deliberately shut out those three insistent voices. He didn't want one more minute. He didn't want any more minutes. More minutes meant dwelling on every sordid last detail of her affair with Tracy and the deception they had lived for the past twenty seven months.

"_Sterility" …_

"_Greed" _…

"_Perjury" …_

Deadly bullets in the game of money.

The game that nobody had won.

XXXX

_Author's Note -I acknowledge the characterisation of this story makes many poeple uncomfortable, but it is not intended to belittle the characters or cause offence to people. I look upon Possessions these days as my AU story and one that allows me to explore the corporate giant that funds International Rescue._

XXXX


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